Lesbian Mothers: Psychosocial Assumptions in Family Law

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1989

Publication Title

American Psychologist

Keywords

lesbians, mothers, child custody, homosexuality

Abstract

Discrimination persists in courts' consideration of lesbian mothers' petitions for custody of their children. Courts often have assumed that lesbian women are emotionally unstable or unable to assume a maternal role. They also often have assumed that their children are likely to be emotionally harmed, subject to molestation, impaired in gender role development, or themselves homosexual. None of these assumptions is supported by extant research and theory.

Comments

Available via Ohiolink Electronic Journal subscription (as of Oct. 2019)

Volume

44

Link to Full Text

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