Dissertation
Bridging the gaps: how does anti-gay discourse and legislation affect the emotional and relational well-being of African-American lesbian women and family
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Nov 2013
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6138
Abstract
A review of the scholarly literature within the field of Couple and Family Therapy (CFT) revealed a gap in the literature on the lives of African American lesbian women and their families, particularly as it relates to anti-gay legislation and marriage amendments. This has important implications for how clinicians, educators, and researchers come to understand the relational well-being of African American lesbian families within socio-historical, cultural and political contexts. Specifically, it has implications for understanding the effects of anti-gay agendas at the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, and class. This study utilized a phenomenological methodology with an intersectional perspective to explore the effects of anti-gay discourse, legislation and constitutional amendments on the emotional well-being (i.e., how one feels about their sexual orientation and/or sexual identity) and relational well-being (i.e., how the relationships with others are impacted) of African-American lesbian women. Thirty face-to-face interviews were conducted in the homes and/or communities of the participants in the following states: Pennsylvania (8), North Carolina (8), Maryland (8), New Jersey (4) and the District of Columbia (2). Analysis of the data indicated that the self-identified African American lesbian women who partici-pated in this study were variously affected by anti-gay discourse, legislation and constitutional amendments. The effects of the phenomena ranged from no emotional connection to feelings of a personal affront. The majority of participants felt so disconnected from the movement that, initially, they saw no need to get politi-cally involved. They shared that they did not identify with the marriage equality movement because the issues that were endemic in their lives and the lives of other African Americans in their communities were not a part of the discourse on marriage equality (e.g., economic disparities, afford-able housing and safe communities for their families, equal employment opportunities, quality education for their children, homeless for LGBTQ youth, HIV/AIDS awareness/prevention and legal protections for transgendered individuals). While they sup- ported the main goal of the movement they did not see representations of African American lesbian women and families in the discourse nor in the media campaigns for marriage equality. Therefore, they did not identify with the movement for they viewed it as one based primarily on the agenda of White gay men. This lack of identification with the movement held true for all of the participants unless they found themselves in the midst of a statewide marriage amendment campaign or they became aware of the limited state a federal benefits attached to their legally recognized relationship status (marriage or civil union). These were the turning points for many of the participants. Nearly 57% of the participants had become so incensed by what they viewed as attempts to legislate discrimination and mislead the public regarding the intent of the proposed amendments that they felt compelled to get involved in community organizing and political advocacy for marriage equality. Some of them testified in front of state legislatures and others worked at the polls on Election Day, held fundraisers, worked at phone banks and developed a website where people were invited to share their thoughts and feelings on marriage equality. The website was linked to other sites where people could go to obtain information on marriage equality and the proposed amendment. The participants were driven by a need to educate themselves and the public on the potential benefits and consequences of proposed legislation and public policies. The personal accounts of the African American lesbian women who participated in this study invites the reader to analyze the effects of anti-gay legislation from different viewpoints. For in spite of similar intersecting racial, gendered, and sexual identities; the participants' experiences of the phenomena were shaped by their respective sociocultural, historical, political, and legal contexts, the geographic locations that the participants navigated on a daily basis and their life cycle stages (young children, adult children, no children, and their relationship status). The findings also highlighted how instrumental local and national civil rights organizations (e.g., National Black Justice Coalition, the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign) were in expanding the discourse on marriage equality to ensure that the diverse voices and faces within LGBTQ communities were an integral part of the movement. The ultimate goal of the study was to center the voices and experiences of African American lesbian women regarding the effects of anti-gay discourses and legislation and to reduce the gap in Couple and Family Therapy professional journals on this segment of the population. Reducing the gap in the literature can contribute to the development of new knowledge on the effects of anti-gay agendas enhancing the ability of clinicians, researchers and social justice advocates to develop culturally sensitive protocols to service the needs of African American lesbian women and their families.
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Details
- Title
- Bridging the gaps
- Creators
- Valerie M. Newman-Freeman - DU
- Contributors
- Eric D. Johnson (Advisor) - DU
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Counseling and Family Therapy; College of Nursing and Health Professions; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 6138; 991014632701804721