Photo 1: I took this photo when walking at SJSU. I was walking behind this couple who was being really affectionate with each other. It was really sweet.
Sociological Perspective: When looking at gay couples a few issues/questions come to mind. For example, when we think about the readings about gay families, how to gay families manage to create family structures when the institutions that exist to support families are heteronormative? If this couple wanted to one day have a baby what medium would they choose? An informal way whereby they would ask a friend? Or a more formal institution such as assisted reproductive services? What sorts of laws prevent this couple from the right to marry and the right to adopt a child?
Analysis: Sullivan discusses the emergence of lesbian cooparent families and discusses some of the challenges lesbians face in choosing to have families. There is backlash against lesbian families on a political, economic, and moral basis from people who are promoting the traditional family structure and traditional family values. Sullivan discusses how the issue of deciding to have a family, for gays, is a decision to assimilate or resist. Resisting means not conforming to traditional "family" structures. But it could be a form of resistance to have a family because it shows that there are alternative forms of families. Assimilating means having a family and trying to show that gay people can form families just like heterosexuals. For lesbians who choose to have families, there are gay-oriented assisted reproduction facilities that provide services for them to have families. There are some issues concerning the individual that does not have the baby and the rights they have to the child, meaning, that parent may not have any legal rights to the child. Second-parent adoptions may be a way for the second-parent to gain rights over the child, but not all states offer this. This is an issue that many gays face with parenting and forming families.
