Communication about children's origins among same‐gender adoptive parent families in Belgium, France, and Spain

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis study explored communication about children's origins among same‐gender parent adoptive families.BackgroundAlthough this topic has been widely researched among different‐gender parent adoptive families, communication about origins among those with same‐gender parents, as well as sexual minority identity dynamics relevant to this crucial task, remain unexplored.MethodA sample of same‐gender adoptive couples (N = 31) from Belgium, France, and Spain with children aged between 4 and 18 years (Mage = 8.9 years) participated in a semistructured interview and a graphic projective test aimed at explore their feelings and communication process about their adopted child's birth family.ResultsInductive thematic analysis yielded a continuum of three main stances conveyed by adoptive parents regarding their child's origins: (a) critical/minimization, (b) cautious/uncertainty, and (c) open/validation. The first (critical/minimization) was associated with experiences of sexual minority stigma and poorer communication about children's origins and sexual minority family‐related issues, while the second (cautious/uncertainty) was characterized by mixed feelings (i.e., at times open, at times critical) in communicating about origins and parents' sexual minority experiences. The third (open/validation) was associated with positive feelings toward adoptive and sexual minority family statuses, as well as identity integration as a lesbian or gay parent and low internalized sexual stigma.ConclusionOur findings underline the importance of sexual minority identity issues in relation to communication about children's origins in same‐gender parent adoptive families.ImplicationsThese findings have important implications for both adoption assessment and therapeutic work with same‐gender adoptive parent families.