Understanding the Gendering of Spaces and Assessing Gendered Actors in Lesbian vs. Heterosexual Family Rooms

Abstract

In America's contemporary political environment, sexual orientation becomes increasingly visible to the public's often-critical eye. From national bullying awareness campaigns to the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, queer (i.e. non-heterosexual) citizens have displayed a vested interest in remaining a politically unified population that continually fights for the same civil rights as heterosexuals. Since the Respect for Marriage Act repealed DOMN in June of 2013, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) couples have not only enjoyed more federal recognition but have also received increased social salience as legitimate, healthy examples of adult relationships. Due to the perceived power of civil marriage to coalesce into socially vital "nuclear family" structures (Green, 2010), the psychological study of same-sex couples2 , both with and without children, holds notably more significance for American society at large given this evolving political climate. The following review of literature concerning queer couples, the families they form, and the physical spaces they design and inhabit stands amongst academic research that celebrates, rather than 'others,' these socially-marginalized populations.