How Do State Policies Impact Access and Pathways to Parenthood for Sexual Minority Adults?

Objective

This study aims to investigate the role of state policies in the contexts of accessing parenthood for sexual minority individuals and same-sex couples.

Background

These are LGBTQ people who want to have children face significant barriers for achieving parenthood, notably depending on the policies regulating access to assisted reproductive technologies, foster care, and adoption.

Methods

We use a national probability sample of 1507 sexual minority adults living across US states and belonging to three age cohorts.

Results

Although the proportion of LGBQ parents did not vary across the country, the pathways to parenthood did. In states with more inclusive policies, LGBQ parents accessed parenthood through formal (ART/adoption) or alternative pathways (co-parenting or step-parenting), whereas different-sex pathways were dominant in states with less inclusive policies.

Conclusion

State policy context is not associated with whether sexual minority adults are parents, but rather how they become parents.

Policy Implications

Additional policies could be implemented in order to protect sexual minority prospective parents from experiencing discrimination when they try to access adoption, foster care, or ART. Additionally, professionals and families could receive training about gender and sexual minority families.