La Trobe University > Research > Research centres and institutes > Healthy people, families & communities > The Bouverie Centre > Support for practitioners and organisations > Specialist areas > Working with LGBTIQ+ families

Working with LGBTIQ+ families

Service providers can do a lot to enhance the services offered to families where a parent is same-sex attracted or gender diverse. The Bouverie Centre has developed guidelines for working with same sex parented families.

Research shows that same-sex attracted and gender diverse parents and their children, and prospective parents in these population groups, self-select or ‘shop around’ to find health care providers with a reputation for taking their concerns seriously and being knowledgeable about issues important to their health.

Often service providers receive little or no training in this area; falling back on ill-fitting traditional heterosexual family frameworks when working with same-sex parents and their children or same sex-attracted people thinking of starting a family.

Service providers can enhance their services offered to families where a parent is same-sex attracted or gender diverse, including:

  • creating a welcoming environment
  • reflective practice
  • being sensitive to the effects of structural barriers.

View our guidelines for working with same sex parented families [PDF 836.8 KB].