Messina, Roberta <br/><br/>
Same-sex adoptive families in Europe: parenting challenges and children’s identity construction 

 -  2023.<br/>							 
<br/><br/> 93 
<br/><br/> Same-sex adoption is legal in several European countries. However, the life experiences of these new families remain little explored in scientific literature. This study aimed at analyzing the experiences of the first generation of gay and lesbian adoptive families living in Europe. We gave the floor to 31 adoptive same-sex families, totaling 62 adoptive parents (46 gay men and 16 lesbians) and 44 adopted children (aged between 3 and 18 years old) living in Belgium, France and Spain. Families participated in semi-structured interviews that were transcribed and analyzed according to inductive approaches. This article focuses on two key elements: the challenges experienced by same-sex parents and the identity-related questions experienced by children adopted in these families. Data analysis have borne a fairly consistent message: while the equality of these families is enshrined in law, many challenges and institutional barriers continue to affect their life experiences, both during the adoption journey and on a daily basis. Results open up reflections on the impact of minority stress on the lives of these new families and allow us to launch avenues to facilitate their integration into our society.