Families We Keep

“In this bold reconsideration of kinship, Families We Keep bravely asks a question that most people dare not ask: why do so many of us stay in toxic relationships with our parents when we could, at least theoretically, sever ties and walk away? Through interviews with LGBTQ adults struggling to sustain connection to their homophobic parents, Reczek and Bosley-Smith point to the difficult truth that lifelong parent-child relationships are so revered in the broader culture that many of us are coerced into keeping them–even when they cause us suffering. By exposing the false promise of cultural myths about the unconditional and irreplaceable love forged by blood connection, Families We Keep issues a powerful warning against investing too much labor, or hope, in relationships that cause us harm.” - Jane Ward, author of Not Gay and The Tragedy of Heterosexuality “

Contrary to news stories about adult children callously estranging themselves from parents, this book reveals how GLBTQ individuals put up with disapproval, rejection, and even abuse in their effort to maintain family ties. Why do they persist, the authors ask, and at what point does such filial commitment become self-destructive?

” - Stephanie Coontz, author of The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap “Three decades after Families We Choose showed that “ties that bind” are not to be taken for granted, Families We Keep offers a nuanced account of what happens when LGBTQ+ people decide to stick with their parents, even in the face of misunderstanding. Reczek and Bosley-Smith are careful not to romanticize these enduring solidarities. It takes hard work to work through conflict, in ways profoundly shaped by race and gender. Social compulsion intertwines poignantly with qualities more conventionally considered virtues, such as patience and respect for the uniqueness of relationships that find no counterpart elsewhere. At a time when so much research focuses on loss, breakdown, and disruption, this book makes a compelling case for why relationships that persist merit much closer inspection.” (Kath Weston, author of Families We Choose: Lesbians, Gays, Kinship) “This remarkable book probes the complexities of relationships between adult LGBTQ people and their families of origin, particularly their parents. The qualitative analyses are rich, and the personal stories and discoveries folks share as they navigate these important adult relationships are moving. Families We Keep offers insights that are compelling and relatable to people with a variety of identities and structural locations in society. It brings a fresh new vantage point from which to study familial relationships, sexualities and gender expression.” - Mignon R. Moore, author of Invisible Families: Gay Identities, Relationships, and Motherhood Among Black Women “For those unfamiliar with LGBTQ experience, Families We Keep is a raw look at the heartbreak and struggle that often characterize difficult familial bonds. While religion comes across as a source of pain in the interviews, the tome could be a valuable resource for those interested in pastoral ministry, spiritual direction, or psychotherapy with LGBTQ people since it analyzes the sociocultural forces that hold people in unhealthy situations.” (INTAMS Library)

Rin Reczek (Author)

Rin Reczek is Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University. They are the co-author of Families We Keep: LGBTQ People and Their Enduring Bonds with Parents and the co-editor of Marriage and Health: The Well-Being of Same-Sex Couples.

Emma Bosley-Smith (Author)

Emma Bosley-Smith is a doctoral candidate in sociology at The Ohio State University.