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Some of you may have this from other sources...but in case not and you're
interested here's a post forwarded fro the Stonewall information line. I'm
not going to cut it because I can't decide what bits might be of interest -
so apologies for the length....
Jock
<FORWARDED TEXT BEGINS>
FROM LESBIAN PARENTS TO GAY FATHERHOOD - HELP NEED
Gill Dunne
The Lesbian Household Project
I wanted to thank all of you who helped publicise or participated in my
project on the organization of work and family-life in Lesbian
partnerships
with dependent children. This work is now `complete' and Stonewall have
kindly agreed to put a copy of my report on their web site. The
findings
are very interesting and extremely affirming! - do feel free to contact
me
for more details of publications.
The Different Dimensions of Gay Fatherhood
Much as I am very sorry to have finished `The Lesbian Household Project'
I
am very excited to have the opportunity to continue research in my new
project on `the Different Dimensions of Gay Fatherhood', and I need your
help to publicize this study. I first got interested gay men's
parenting
circumstances when I learnt of the generosity of those gay men who
became
donors for lesbian mothers - some donors took on the role of `kindly
uncle' or were actively engaged in parenting. This made me curious to
find
out more about the different ways that gay men are involved in parenting
-
in fostering situations; as active or thwarted parents; as partners of
biological fathers; fathers parenting with ex-partners, partners or
female
friends; and fathers who have lost contact with their children. On
further
enquiry there appeared to be little research on gay fathers - their
experience seemed to be neglected in both mainstream and gay research.
The study is exploratory (details below) and will be mainly based on
self-completed questionnaires. It will hopefully provide important
information which will enable further more detailed research. To chart
the
range of gay men's experience of fatherhood I need to make contact with
as
many gay/bisexual fathers/donors in as many different situations as
possible. Again I am dependent on your help to publicise the study
and,
if you are a gay/bisexual father/donor, to become involved as a
participant. Please help me to make a difference by publicizing the
study
and/or by completing and returning the form below. N.B. ALL
INFORMATION
WILL BE TREATED WITH SENSITIVITY AND ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY
Thanks in anticipation,
Gill
THE DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF GAY FATHERHOOD
INTRODUCTION
In recent years gay men's role in parenting has attracted much
popular/media speculation and political/legal interest. Discussion has
often been highly negative, and the treatment of gay fathers based on
ignorance and stereotypes. Part of the reason for this is the absence
of
sound academic research on gay fathers in this country - their
particular
circumstances, needs, difficulties and pleasures experienced. The
problem
is exacerbated by their relative invisibility - often being on the
margins
of both the heterosexual and gay communities. While gay fathers may not
be
great in number, there is reason to believe that recent legal, policy
and
reproductive changes have and will lead to their steady increase. For
instance, some may be engaged in fostering, many have become donors, or
may
be actively parenting with ex-partners, lesbian friends, or gay
partners,
and others have limited or no access to their children. Sound academic
research is needed to enable informed debate without which the decisions
of
policy and law makers will remain unfair or somewhat ad hoc.
THE RESEARCH AND THE RESEARCHER
This research seeks to chart the range of parenting circumstances of gay
fathers and is designed to provide information which will have
practical
and policy-related value as well as academic. The researcher has
recently
completed a three-year study on lesbian mothers at Cambridge University.
Gill is committed to making a difference and playing a role in
challenging
prejudice. As well as writing several books and a number of academic
papers, she has been active in working with the media and user-groups.
Her
research on lesbian mothers was featured on Women's Hour, she has
advised
on several forthcoming television documentaries on the topic of lesbian
and
gay parenting, and given talks to organizations such as Stonewall and
FFLAG
(friends and families of lesbian and gay people). Findings from her
earlier study are being used by lawyers acting for lesbians. It is hoped
that this study will help those acting for gay fathers.
METHODS
So that the study is as representative as possible, a wide range of
media
and networks will be utilized to locate gay fathers. The researcher has
a
reputation for conducting, unbiased research on non-traditional
households,
in a careful, sensitive and scholarly manner.
To gain a sense of the range of parenting experiences a i) self-
completion
survey will be conducted on as large a sample as possible. To provide
depth, the survey data will be complemented with ii) 10 case-study
interviews and iii) focus group discussion.
A central objective of the study is to provide relevant information
which
will contribute to informed policy-making and public debate. To
facilitate
this an accessible project report and briefing will be written and
distributed widely. Dissemination will also include user-group
talks/workshops, where possible, feedback to participants and the more
usual academic papers, seminars and conference presentations.
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE I NEED TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF AS MANY GAY
FATHERS/DONORS IN AS MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AS POSSIBLE - SOCIAL
FATHERS, BIOLOGICAL FATHERS, DONORS.
I need your help to publicise the study.
Please contact me:
1. If you are a gay/bisexual father/co-parent/donor - regardless
of
whether you have contact with your children, or whether you had come out
when you first became a father .
2. If you are hoping to have children or have tried in the past.
If you know any gay/bisexual fathers/donors please pass on this
information
and ask them to contact me.
N.B. ALL INFORMATION WILL BE TREATED WITH SENSITIVITY AND ABSOLUTE
CONFIDENTIALITY
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ME, GILL DUNNE:
Telephone: 01223 294733 email: [log in to unmask]
Or complete and return this form to:
Gill Dunne, The LSE Gender Institute,
The London School of Economics
Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE
Name/s:
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone number:
Parenting situation: Eg Donor/father no/limited contact with children;
father - children
resident/active carer; hope to father/foster; thwarted in attempts to
father/foster/adopt; co-
parenting with partner/lesbian mother/s; know some gay dads.
Gill Dunne
LSE Gender Institute
London School of Economics
Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
0171 955 7305
Best telephone contact:.
Home office 01223 294733
email [log in to unmask]
<FORWARDED TEXT ENDS>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Office Systems Analyst, Duty Hall Warden
Information Systems Team, M3a Morrell Hall
Oxford Brookes University. OX3 0TU
OX3 0BP Tel/Fax: +44 1865 485019
Tel: +44 1865 483353 E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Fax: +44 1865 483073
DISCLAIMER: All opinions Copyright (c) 1998, Jock Coats
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