Family Resilience Amid Stigma and Discrimination: A Conceptual Model for Families Headed by Same-Sex Parents: Families Headed by Same-Sex Parents

Despite policy advancements ensuring equality for lesbians and gay men, families headed by LG individuals still experience stigmatization and discrimination, both of which are chronic forms of adversity that can compromise healthy family functioning. Yet research demonstrates that many families headed by same-sex parents are functioning well. Research using deficit-comparison approaches has not contributed to a deeper understanding of variations in child rearing and child outcomes that may contribute to, or impede, healthy family functioning among the population of LG families. We describe a model of family resilience, grounded in minority stress theory, that may help inform the research agenda on families headed by same-sex parents. Our conceptual framework of family resilience can guide the next wave of research with LG families and may help programs to promote key family strengths.