Navigating gay fatherhood: the experiences of four sets of gay fathers with their children’s education

ABSTRACT

Studies have consistently shown that parental involvement and family engagement programs can positively affect the social, emotional, cognitive, and academic well-being of children. Nevertheless, research has also indicated that many programs are school-based (e.g. back-to-school night, parent–teacher conferences), and have historically marginalized families with different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While this perspective has been at the core of some scholars’ works that challenge school-to-home relationships, such a critical framework has yet to be fully developed for same-sex parents. This phenomenological study invokes a queer theory framework and uses interview data to explore such school-to-home experiences for same-sex couples by focusing on four sets of gay fathers. Findings indicate that the fathers in this study were actively engaged with school-, home-, and community-based educational opportunities. Nevertheless, all four sets of fathers faced challenges making decisions for their children’s schooling and navigating their children’s education due to their two-father households.

KEYWORDS:

• School-to-home relationships
• Gay fathers
• Queer theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributor

Andrew Scott Leland is a Ph.D. Candidate at Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education. His research explores school-to-home relationships for same-sex parents, with a particular focus on how social and political discourses shape the experiences and interactions that same-sex parents have with their children’s schooling and education.