Abstract
In the last 10 years, there has been increased attention given to the demographic analysis of same-sex couples and their families. This attention may be attributed to multiple factors, including current debates and social movements regarding issues of sexual orientation and legislative rights. Additionally, one paramount factor contributing to the increased attention is the availability of better data on same-sex households. While these data are limited, the inclusion of various measures and indicators of sexual orientation and access to large-scale nationally representative data gives demographers a starting point to examine issues of sexual orientation. Currently, there is growing support for the argument that sexual orientation does have an effect on demographic processes and life outcomes. This chapter presents an overview of the current demographic research on same-sex families. It describes how same-sex families are understood by demographers, limitations to this demographic research, and demonstrates how demography can illuminate issues of same-sex families. This chapter also draws on research outside of demography, primarily from family studies, to further highlight substantive concerns and future directions for demographic research.
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Notes
- 1.
The National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) was conducted in 1992 by Edward O. Laumann and his associates (see The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States [1994]).
- 2.
- 3.
The other 243 individuals under 18 were identified as: head/householder (33), unmarried partners (111), boarders (72), and housemates (27).
- 4.
The same states had positive laws for both types of adoption, thus we were unable to distinguish whether the adoption or the second parent adoption laws might be playing a greater role in producing this positive effect.
- 5.
For more discussion on issues related to income and same-sex families and households see Chap. 13.
- 6.
This list does not speak to civil unions or domestic partnerships, rather it solely refers to same-sex marriage recognition.
- 7.
Only summary file counts and preferred estimates have been released at time of publishing.
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Compton, D.R. (2013). The Family and Gay Men and Lesbians. In: Baumle, A. (eds) International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality. International Handbooks of Population, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5512-3_14
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