Meghan Cromie

Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Barton, Michelle

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

Bisexual women experience a disproportionate rate of mental health disorders compared to both heterosexual and lesbian women, including postpartum depression. Some have suggested the difference is due to prejudice from straight and LGBT people, which may depend on partner gender. Despite social support being shown to be important for mothers, little research has focused on how bisexual mothers experience support. In this study 62, predominantly male-partnered, bisexual mothers took an online survey containing questions about anti-bisexual experiences, outness, social support, community connectedness, and open-ended questions about their transition to motherhood, comfort in the LGBT community, and use of bisexual resources. The results showed women with male partners perceived the most social support from their families. Women with a partner of a different-gender (not cis-male or cis-female) perceived the most prejudice from both straight and lesbian and gay people. Women with female partners were the most out, the most connected to the LGBT community, and perceived the most social support from partners, heterosexual friends, and LGBT friends. In the open-ended questions, most women believed their sexual identity did not impact their transition to motherhood, while those that did thought it had a mostly neutral impact. An equal number of women felt very uncomfortable in the LGBT community as those who felt completely comfortable. Few women wanted resources, and few used them. The results showed partner gender did not play as significant role in the experience of motherhood as expected, but that there was a group of women for which bisexual stigma in the LGBT community and society at large seemed to have a negative impact.

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