Queer Experience and Family Re-Definitions
Queerness is an umbrella term for people who identify themselves outside the heteronormative spectrum of gender and/or sexuality. This group has been historically marginalized and excluded from mainstream society because their identities do not fit into traditional binary categories. As such, they have developed unique ways of creating families and kinship networks that challenge the dominant narratives surrounding familial relations. In this paper, I will explore how queer experience redefines the concept of family and moral kinship.
Defining Family
Family is typically defined as a group of individuals related to one another through blood, marriage, adoption, or legal contracts. It is often seen as a natural institution that provides emotional support, economic stability, and social connections for its members.
Queer families defy these norms by forming networks based on affection, mutual understanding, and shared values rather than biological ties or legal obligations.
Moral Kinship
Moral kinship refers to the idea that relationships can be formed beyond biology or law, based on shared beliefs, experiences, and commitments.
Two strangers can become "kin" if they share similar cultural backgrounds or political views. Similarly, queer families are created through emotional bonds that transcend genetics or legal status. These families may consist of romantic partners, chosen families, polyamorous groups, or communities of friends.
Challenging Heteronormativity
The traditional nuclear family model is rooted in heteronormativity - the assumption that all people are cisgender (identify with the gender assigned at birth) and heterosexual. This excludes many individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ or otherwise non-conforming to gender or sexuality expectations. By creating their own families, queers challenge heteronormative narratives by refusing to conform to societal standards of what constitutes a "normal" family. They redefine what it means to belong to a family and how familial relations are structured.
Queer Parenthood
Queer parenthood is another way in which queerness challenges dominant family structures. Many queers choose to have children through adoption or surrogacy, often using assisted reproductive technologies. Others adopt children from foster care or international agencies, while others raise children within their own networks. These families reject the notion that parenthood must always involve biological procreation and instead create unique arrangements tailored to their needs and desires.
Moral Kinship in Queer Families
Within queer families, moral kinship takes on new meanings.
Chosen families are created when individuals form strong connections outside of blood ties or marriage, such as close friendships or long-term relationships. These families may not be legally recognized but still provide emotional support, financial stability, and social networks for members. Polyamorous groups also challenge norms around monogamy and exclusivity, allowing multiple partners to share resources and responsibilities in a nontraditional family structure.
Queer experience has redefined the concept of family and moral kinship by challenging traditional definitions based on blood, law, and heteronormativity. By forming their own families, queer individuals create alternative ways of relating to one another that emphasize love, affection, mutual understanding, and shared values rather than legal status or genetic connection. This new model of family provides space for diverse identities and experiences, highlighting the fluidity of what it means to be "family."
How does queer experience redefine the concept of family and moral kinship?
The term 'queer' refers to individuals who do not identify as heterosexual, cisgender, or within the gender binary. Queer experience encompasses various identities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, intersex, asexual, etc. , which are often marginalized by society due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or sex characteristics.