From safety in silence to speaking up for LGBTQ+ families: A reflection on the personal, professional, and political through a feminist lens

Abstract

In this article, I employ a feminist perspective in examining the interconnections across my personal, professional, and political activities. Rather than smoothing out the inconsistencies, tensions, and difficult spots, I strive to engage with them as points of entry to deeper knowledge and understanding. I begin by discussing elements of my personal upbringing, and the ways that it shaped my lens on families and my interest in the hidden and less understood aspects of family life. I then examine my professional career and trajectory, and how it has shifted alongside changes in the sociopolitical landscape, the evolution of scholarship in LGBTQ+ families, and my own privilege. I also explore how I have grappled with but also leveraged the politicized and political nature of my research, and sought to be an agent of change beyond the four walls of the university. I end with my thoughts on the benefits of this type of reflexive exercise for new and seasoned scholars.