Place matters: LGB families in community context

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals and their families are often presumed to live in urban 'gay Meccas' rather than nonmetropolitan and more rural parts of the USA. However, this urban stereotype is simply not true, particularly for LGB-parented families. LGB parents and their children live in a diversity of community settings, and these communities vary in their levels of support for LGB families. The purpose of this chapter is to document what is known about how the daily lives of LGB families are differentially impacted by where they live. Using minority stress theory, we examine the influences of geographical and demographic diversity as well as community climate, which includes legal, religious, political, workplace, and educational dimensions. Furthermore, we discuss how communities can change to be more LGB affirming.