Divorce and Separation, Historical Perspective on

The processes of separation and divorce have affected the lives of LGBTQ people since the first wave of LGBTQ liberation in the 1960s and 1970s. Initial research and commentaries on divorce and separation considered LGBTQ people leaving heterosexual marriages and relationships. Subsequently, though, attention has turned to same-sex relationship separation. As legislation surrounding same-sex marriage becomes more favorable in many different countries and legislatures, consideration is now turning to same-sex divorce. The children of LGBTQ parents and how they fare after parental divorce has been one of the central research areas influencing public debate.

This entry reviews the legal, social, and psychological aspects of divorce and separation involving LGBTQ adults and their children since the first wave of LGBTQ liberation. Historical developments and landmark legal judgments ...