The Discourse of Gay & Lesbian Adoption: Constructing the issue for the public

Abstract

This dissertation examines the public construction of gay and lesbian adoption by looking at the public discourse surrounding the issue. A discourse analysis was conducted of five print news publications and twenty interviews were conducted with participants in the issue. The goals of this research project included assessing how participants in the gay and lesbian adoption issue sought to influence its public construction, what frames they employed, how they interacted publicly with other participants, and how they constructed their identities and the identities of other participants. Other goals included assessing how the print news media covered the issue and how the participants strategized to garner media attention. The results indicate that the discourse of gay and lesbian adoption includes dominant themes, including the best interests of children, the definition of family, civil rights, and social science research. Within these themes, participants sponsor opposing frames, interacting with each other through their discursive strategies. Overall, print news coverage of the issue tended to reflect the opposing discourses of proponents and opponents of gay and lesbian adoption although more recent coverage tended to favor proponents. This dissertation contributes to the research areas of British cultural studies, social constructionism, media studies, and framing. The results have implications for those who advocate for political and social change as they indicate that proponents of gay and lesbian adoption are finding success through a negotiation strategy of advocating for change while upholding existing American cultural values.