Addressing the lack of understanding regarding the lives of same-sex couples, this book examines the sociodemographic characteristics of partnered gay men and lesbians. The authors draw on U.S. census data to present quantitative analyses of topics pertaining to gay men and lesbians that have previously been relatively unexamined or assessed mainly through qualitative studies. They explore where gay men and lesbians live, why they choose those residences, income inequality, occupations, dimensions of family attachments, relationship commitments, and family structures. The census data allows...

Do adoptions provide children for families or families for children? This book analyzes the complex interactions between adopters and adoptees using historical and current data. Who are the preferred parents and children, both domestically and internationally? How do the types of adoptions-domestic adoptions, private and public through the foster care system, and intercountry adoptions-differ? Domestic trends include a shift to open adoptions and a notable increase in "hard to place," foster care adoptions-typically older, siblings, minorities, with physical, educational, or emotional...