TY - JOUR
T1 - Undoing Normativities and Creating Family
T2 - A Queer Stepfamily’s Experience
AU - Bermea, Autumn M.
AU - van Eeden-Moorefield, Brad
AU - Bible, Jacqueline
AU - Petren, Raymond E.
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Although the stepfamily literature is well developed, most examines heterosexual stepfamilies and fails to note the presence of those headed by same-gender couples. This especially is true of male couples assumed unlikely to have children. Our case study uses a queer lens to examine a stepfamily headed by gay men. Family, couple, and focal child interviews were coded using thematic analysis. Findings indicate family members rejected normative family labels (e.g., stepfamily) and wanted to be thought of only as a family. These stepfamily members also performed family in ways that defied heteronormativity; however, they described struggling to do so within legal contexts that favored biological mothers, especially those in heterosexual families.
AB - Although the stepfamily literature is well developed, most examines heterosexual stepfamilies and fails to note the presence of those headed by same-gender couples. This especially is true of male couples assumed unlikely to have children. Our case study uses a queer lens to examine a stepfamily headed by gay men. Family, couple, and focal child interviews were coded using thematic analysis. Findings indicate family members rejected normative family labels (e.g., stepfamily) and wanted to be thought of only as a family. These stepfamily members also performed family in ways that defied heteronormativity; however, they described struggling to do so within legal contexts that favored biological mothers, especially those in heterosexual families.
KW - Case study
KW - LGBT families
KW - gay fathers
KW - queer theory
KW - stepfathers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059028206&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1550428X.2018.1521760
DO - 10.1080/1550428X.2018.1521760
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059028206
SN - 1550-428X
VL - 15
SP - 357
EP - 372
JO - Journal of GLBT Family Studies
JF - Journal of GLBT Family Studies
IS - 4
ER -