The first area to explore is the rise of"alternative" family structures Elsa Peretti Teardrop necklace the broadening of a traditionalperception of family made up exclusively of a mom and dad and theirbiological offspring. Over the past 50 years, feminism broughtsweeping changes, particularly for women in western countries, andthe civil rights movement heralded an era of multiculturalism,interracial couples, and transracial adoption. Modern technologieshave brought greater access to information and globalcommunication, as well as Elsa Peretti Open Heart necklace in reproductive technology.
Multiracial families, adoptive families,families formed through the use of reproductive medicine, includingdonor insemination, surrogacy, and in vitro fertilization, andfamilies headed by same-sex couples represent the emergence of newfamily forms which defy heteronormative assumptions. There is alsopotentially greater overlap of Heart tag charm necklace burgeoning families, forexample lesbian- and gay male-headed families may embody a largerdemographic of multicultural families, due to both interracialunions and transracial adoptions (Goldberg, 2010; Lev, 2004a), aswell as significant numbers of families formed utilizing assistedreproductive technologies (Ehrensaft, 2008; Lev, 2006; Pelka,2009).
As the form and structure of familieshave changed, members struggle to integrate shifting social normsregarding appropriate gender behavior in children. Parents andtherapists may be accepting when little boys rock their baby dollsto sleep, but may be more uncomfortable when little boys want towear baby-doll Elsa Peretti Open Heart Necklace to bed. Contemporary societal moresencourage girls to play soccer, but neighbors bristle if the samegirls want to wear a man's tailored suit to a family wedding. Forfamilies headed by parents of the same sex, gender may be anespecially salient area of exploration.
As Suzannah and Luz talk about Kyle theykeep contradicting themselves. Luz says, "I know that we haven'tdone anything to make Kyle this way, but maybe it's because he hasno father?" Suzannah says, "I just want him to be himself, butmaybe we shouldn't let him play with Barbies?" Suzannah and LuzBeads necklace trouble articulating their fears about what exactly is "wrong"with Kyle, or why they have come in seeking therapy. They prefacetheir words with qualifiers ("We don't care if he's gay," "We willlove him no matter who he is"), but in truth they are worried thatKyle is gay and that it might in some way be their fault. Theyworry about this even though they are very aware that growing upwith heterosexual parents did little to influence their ownemerging sexual orientation; even though it is not clear what therelationship is, if any, between playing with girls' toys and beinggay; even though their other children appear to have typical genderpresentations, and even though they really, really, really thinkit's okay to be gay. Really!
The research has indisputably affirmedthat children of lesbian parents express Paloma's Zellige earrings gender rolesand behaviors, and are almost always heterosexual. The scientificvote was cast (to the relief of many): lesbians (and by extension,gay men) were "normal" parents and their kids were also "normal."Same-sex parenting has been justified based on scientificaffirmations of normality, that is, "it is okay for lesbians andgay men to parent children because their children are just like thechildren of heterosexual marriages."
There have always been challenges tothis research, primarily by conservative Tiffany Notes Earrings Tiffany & Co. immersed inreligious ideology; all of these criticisms have been discreditedby reputable social scientists (Cooper & Cates, 2006). However,in recent years, the research has been contested from scholarsknown for their progressive views on same-sex parenting -révaluations from "within." The focus of their criticism rests onthe assumptions of "normality" in the existing literature, raisingsophisticated questions about the role of heterosexism in socialscience research (Clarke, 2000; Hicks, 2005a; Riggs, 2007; Stacey& Biblarz, 2001). Challenging the research may seemunnecessarily self- destructive: why challenge evidence that hasassisted so many Tiffany Signature drop earrings-sex couples to achieve their desires tobecome parents? These challenges, however, interrogate salientquestions that should not be so easily dismissed: how arechildren's sexual orientations and gender expressions impacted bytheir parents' identities and how does the environmental context of"queerness" impact parent/ child transactions regarding genderdevelopment? It is also germane to ask how researchers can studythese questions without pandering to heteronormative expectationsand still remain sensitive to the potential misuse of informationin public policy decisions that can negatively impact LGBTQfamilies.
To explore these questions requiresexamination of three overlapping theoretical Heart Link lariat. First isthe rise of "alternative" family structures, includingmulticultural families, families formed using assisted reproductivetechnologies, and households headed by same-sex couples. Second isthe decentering of heterosexuality as the normative, "natural"blueprint for the construction of families. Third is the evolutionof a postmodern discourse on gender that deconstructs themale/female sex binary, and nurtures transgender, Link necklace, andgenderqueer identities. Gay/lesbian affirmative models of treatmentand queer theory consolidate these overlapping paradigms,challenging social workers, psychologists, and family therapists toreexamine their assumptions about functional roles, identity,structure, and dynamics within families.
There have been numerous changes infamily life in the past 50 years Tiffany Somerset ring patterns of marriage,divorce, and the increase in adoption, particularly interracialadoption (Coontz, 2000; Pertman, 2000; Pinsof, 2002). One area ofchange has been the rise of publicly acknowledged same-sexhouseholds, especially those rearing children (Goldberg, 2010).According to the U.S. census in 2000, one third of lesbian-headedcouples and one fifth of gay-headed couples were raising children(Cooper & Cates, 2006). Additionally, there has been anincreased visibility of trans people within families (i.e.,transgender, transsexual, and gender nonconforming) - spouses aswell as children (Brill & Pepper, 2008; Brown & Rounsley,1996; Lev, 2004b; Malpas, 2006).
Research into these family structures isemerging and ongoing, yielding much-Tiffany Knots ring, scientifically basedreassurance that families who deviate from the normative structureof a two-parent, heterosexual, same-race couple with biologicaloffspring can rear healthy and well-adjusted children (Bos,Gartrell, Peyser, & van Balen, 2008; Gartrell, Rodas, Deck,Peyser, & Banks, 2005; Patterson, 1994, 1996; Tasker &Golombek, 1997). The majority of studies have been conducted withlesbian mothers, and then generalized to other sexual minorities,specifically gay male parents. This research, which has examinedpsychological adjustment, self-esteem, and academic performance,has unambiguously shown that the children of lesbian parents do notshow any signs of psychological Paloma's Tenderness Heart ring; indeed, the results showthat many children reared in lesbian homes are well-adjusted andexhibit increased strengths and competencies compared with peers,including fewer behavioral problems (Gartrell & Bos, 2010;Tasker & Golombek, 1997). The research has also beeninstrumental in generating endorsements from national professionaland child welfare organizations and in creating and reinforcingsocial policy decisions, including those involving child custody,access to reproductive technologies, and adoption and foster careplacements (Cooper & Cates, 2006).
One area of particular focus for socialscientists has involved the Tiffany Notes band ring of gender identity andsexual orientation for children reared in same-sex homes.Specifically, the concerns have been whether lesbian mothers"differ" from heterosexual mothers, and whether they are "fit" toparent (Tasker & Golombek, 1997). Underlying concerns of"difference" and "fitness" are questions about the development ofnormative gender and sexuality expectations: "Are lesbian motherscapable of instilling healthy gender roles in their children,despite the lack of male role-modeling," and "Will children rearedin lesbian homes be more likely to become homosexual themselves?"The development of children's normative gender identity and sexualorientation have been the lynchpin for Bow earrings, policy makers,and the judicial system determining whether those in so-called"alternative families" would be deemed acceptable parents.
Suzannah and Luz are a lesbian couplewho sought out Paloma's X earrings therapy because they were concerned abouttheir youngest son. Kyle is a 5-year-old boy with a gentle naturewho distains traditional boys' toys and games. He spends most ofhis time in day care playing with girls, and his favorite gamesinvolve playing with dolls and dressing up in princess gowns.Suzannah and Luz are progressive parents who have never forcedgender-based roles or toys on any of their three children. "Ouroldest son also played with 'girls' things,'" they said, "but neverPaloma Picasso Loving Heart ring. Kyle's behavior is clearly extreme and everyone iscommenting on it."
When children transgress sociallyexpected gender boundaries even the Elsa Peretti Open Heart ring liberal clinicians findthemselves haunted by Freudian ideology that children need both amother and father to develop solid gender identities. Despite over30 years of feminist theory and social science evidencedemonstrating that gender-based play and clothing are socialconventions, children who deviate in extreme ways from expectedsocial conventions are labeled with mental health problems. Goldner(1988) suggested that gender is a "fundamental organizingprinciple" that is "not only restrictive" but "constitutive" andactually "determined what it was possible to know" (p. 17). Thisarticle explores emerging ways of "knowing" about genderdevelopment and family relations within the Tiffany 1837 lock ring of families whoare living outside of socially expected norms. A case history of alesbian family with a gender atypical child illustrates some of thechallenges facing family therapists.
Family is the cultural institution wherevalues and expectations of gender socialization are taught andreinforced. Although gender roles are learned in multiple arenas,including schools and through the media (see Golumbek & Fivish,1994), the lion's share of responsibility rests on parents who aredirected to Tiffany 1837 ring children in appropriate behaviors. Parentalduty includes assisting children in negotiating physical,psychological, and developmental processes so they can adaptsocially to the cultural mandates of gender expectations. A complexundertaking in any circumstance, these tasks have been impacted inthe past few decades by significant social revolutions that havechanged how gender is viewed within society and experienced inrelationships and families.
Throughout history, across all cultures, some people have transgressed societal Elsa Peretti Starfish earrings and insisted that their authentic gender was different from their natal sex. In the modern era, adults can make this transition with the help of medicine and surgery; children must do so with the help of their parents. Most LGBTQ adults have painful narratives of their journey to authenticity and have had to fight for their right to build families of their own. There may be no evidence that LGBTQ parents are more likely to raise LGBTQ children but clearly some will be so blessed. Perhaps the stories of their own journeys can pave the way for their emerging children's narratives.
This paper focuses on the impact of heteronormativity on research and clinical theory, Elsa Peretti Apple earrings the case of a lesbian couple with a young gender dysphoric child as a backdrop to discuss the contextual unfolding of gender development within a lesbian parented family. The extant research on LGBTQ-headed families has minimized the complexity of children's developing gender identity and sexual orientation living in queer families, and has been guided by heteronormative assumptions that presume a less optimal outcome if the children of LGBTQ parents are gay or transgender themselves. This article challenges family therapists to recognize the enormous societal pressure on LGBTQ parents to produce heterosexual, gender-normative children, and the expectations on Elsa Peretti Round earrings children, especially those questioning their own sex or gender identities.The development of gender identity and sexual orientation in children reared in Return to Tiffany Round tag drop earrings, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, and queer identified families (LGBTQ) involves examining clinical theory and research that overlap numerous fields of study. Psychological perspectives of child development intersect with emerging research on same-sex-headed families; the expansion of "alternative" family forms are interconnected with burgeoning postmodern concepts in family therapy, social work, and Tiffany 1837 Bar drop earrings. The theoretical premises which underlay empirical research are often difficult to incorporate into narrative, feminist, and systemic treatment paradigms. It is into this crucible that families come seeking therapy.
It is very common for parents of gender-variant children to be unsure and confused Heart Link earrings how to best address their child's cross-gender expression. For LGBT parents there is the added pressure to raise heterosexual and gender-conforming children, or risk familial and societal condemnation that their "lifestyle" created or encouraged these behaviors. Additionally, they have their own histories of growing up "different," which potentially evokes both compassion for their children and apprehension for their futures. Tiffany Cushion Hoop earrings nature of homo- and transphobia is that it is difficult for LGBT parents to celebrate having a gay or trans child, although it seems that if "gay pride" has any meaning at all, it should be a natural reaction.
To assist a child in a young transition is especially confusing because the Atlas earring suggests many of these children will grow up gay, not trans. Families present their anxiety to the therapists, who do not yet have the tools to definitively determine outcomes. As Ehrensaft (2009) says, "attempting to reliably predict adult outcomes from child experiences, we must be humble enough to recognize that we can never know for sure if a child who says he or she is transgender is expressing a stable, permanent lifelong identity" (pp. 21-22). Yes, despite "not-knowing," Tiffany 1837 Hoop earrings must assist families in making these difficult decisions. Like Suzannah and Luz, decisions are often made following a crisis, where the child's depression, acting out behavior, or desperation overrides fears of the neighbor's reactions.
Ultimately, both families and therapists are guided by the child's narrative. Young trans children present with consistent and lucid accounts of their experience, unswerving in their insistence, sometimes demanding and other times resigned. When allowed to express their authentic identity, they often become joyful, Elsa Peretti Open Heart earrings, and satisfied; when restricted to limited traditional gender roles, clothes, and behaviors of their natal sex, they because sullen, depressed, and often exhibit behavioral problems. Changing sex is anxiety producing in a culture that presents gender as immutable, and gender transitions as pathological. A postmodern, narrative perspective teaches that gender is a story that is authored with one's own life, dependent on numerous variables, and-especially for children-one that can be nurtured or denied.