Law and LGBQ-Parent Families

This paper addresses how the law affects LGBQ-parent families. We first outline the legal landscape that LGBQ parents face in the US, underscoring that it varies drastically by state and creates inequity for families. Reviewing existing social science research, we then address how the law affects three processes for LGBQ people: desiring parenthood, becoming a parent, and experiencing parenthood. Our review indicates that the law affects if and how LGBQ people become parents. LGBQ people consider the law as they make decisions about whether to pursue adoption, donor insemination, or surrogacy and often view the latter two pathways as the most legally secure. Further, the law continues to be salient for LGBQ parents throughout parenthood and affects family well-being. Specifically, legal inequity diminishes parent’s well-being, the relationship among couples who are parenting, and parents’ ability to effectively advocate for their children in institutional settings like healthcare contexts. Finally, we address directions for future research for scholars interested in the law, family processes and outcomes, and LGBQ families.

本研究探讨了法律如何影响美国的LGBQ父母家庭，具体聚焦于法律对三个家庭过程的影响：（1）渴望成为父母，（2）成为父母，和（3）经历父母身份。研究旨在理解LGBQ父母在各个生育阶段如何与法律环境互动，以及法律如何塑造他们的家庭经历。

本研究采用文献回顾的方法，回顾了相关的社会科学和LGBT研究文献，重点筛选了探讨法律对LGBQ父母影响的研究。研究通过查阅社会科学和LGBT研究数据库（如Sociological Abstracts, LGBT Life, PsycINFO等）以及与LGBQ家庭相关的期刊文章，收集了所有与法律相关的文献，不论其研究方法、学科领域或出版日期，从而全面了解法律对LGBQ父母家庭的影响。

本文发现，法律对LGBQ父母家庭的影响深远，从生育愿望、成为父母的途径到亲子关系与家庭福祉，均受到法律不平等的制约。尽管同性婚姻合法化在一定程度上缓解了部分法律障碍，但依然存在诸如领养权、代孕合法性等问题，且不同州法律差异使得LGBQ父母面临持续的不确定性。此外，种族、阶级等社会因素也在影响LGBQ父母选择生育的过程中起着重要作用。未来的研究应更全面地关注多样化的LGBQ家庭类型及其面临的法律与社会挑战，以推动政策改革，改善LGBQ父母的家庭经历和福祉。