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Sticky Normativity: Challenging Persistent Heteronormativity in Research on LGBT Families

Sat, August 11, 2:30 to 4:10pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, Franklin Hall 3

Abstract

Family research has been limited by heteronormative conceptualizations, methods, and theorizing. Theoretical advancements over the last decade have benefited from the inclusion of LGBT individuals and couples, yet a focal shift in family research remains incomplete. The scholarship on LGBT families published in the Journal of Marriage and Family from 2005 to 2017 is analyzed. LGBT focused articles account for only 3.6% of articles published in JMF during a thirteen-year span. The findings show how heteronormativity—in particular, issues around gender, race, and family forms—still dominates research focused on LGBT individuals and families. This article argues that these heteronormative biases, this sticky normativity, must be addressed in order for scholarship on families to advance. Additionally, the field will benefit greatly from a blended theoretical engagement with queer theory and emerging intersectional lenses that compel the discipline to reach for more family formations existing and thriving by their own right.

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