A família no discurso dos membros de famílias homoparentais / The family in the speech of members of gay families

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Among other family arrangements of our times, same sex-couples in several countries are controversial, a theme that is part of the sexual rights movement agenda challenges religious, juridical and political authorities, and health care professionals. In the meantime, new gay families are created, take care and adopt children. Psychology had a leading role in the history of the discourse conditions on this issue. A reflexive and critical literature about these families experience in their own perspective is rare. The aim of this study was the discourse about family constructed by 10 men that are members of gay families residing in the neighbourhood of Ribeirão Preto, a medium size city in São Paulo State interior. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with men, average age of 35 years old. They were analyzed within the discourse analysis framework, based on Michel Foucaults work and the social constructionism literature that assumes sexuality as a social phenomenon. It was discussed how the interviewees distinguished their families of origin from their current family. Their current families were associated to intense loving feelings, partnership and the impulsiveness in their decision to share a home. The discourses related to their family of origin were marked by mentions of rejection, violence, death losses and suffering. Several of the interviewed men were concerned and frightened by the possibility of being rejected by close relatives, co-workers, members of the judicial power and psychologists due to their sexual orientation or due to their belonging to gay families. When they mentioned this theme, they constructed narrative scenes marked by a relevant power asymmetry. If their sexual orientation and their belonging to a gay family was exposed, they would have to wait, asking or hoping for social recognition and acceptance. The interviewed also repeatedly claimed the normality of their family, children and their own. All of them have expressed the desire of being a parent. When indicating the best criteria for selecting a child for adoption, they would choose their loving feelings. Discourse production is conditioned by and depends of the context of its enunciation. The discursive construction by members of such families conceptualizing homoparental families is occurring under un-favorable conditions, since, despite gay families have obtained social visibility during last years, they have also been subjected to critics and have had their legitimacy and citizenship contested by important institutions of daily life, such as churches and legal and politic sphere. Finally, we ask for caution of using terms like homoparentship or gay families within psychology studies and practices, considering that psychologists (amongst other health professionals) participated in the construction of the homosexual as another human species, associated to diseases, sins and crimes. We should take care in not to define homoparental families as another non-normal and problematic family.

ASSUNTO(S)

homossexualidade family movimento homossexual análise do discurso família homosexuality discourse analysis homosexual movement

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