Gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation: All in the feminist family?

This essay argues that a focus on gender alone is inadequate for the development of the economics of sexuality because of important differences between “gender” and “sexuality” as analytical categories. Examples of gender-based models of the family reveal the limitations of applying those models to the families of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, since gay families face very different legal, political, and cultural constraints and opportunities. However, variations in family forms and behavior that are rooted in sexual orientation differences provide opportunities for new feminist research strategies for studying the influence of gender norms and family legal institutions on economic behavior, for instance. And finally, feminists can also learn from and contribute to the political efforts of lesbian and gay activists who are creating new forms of legally and materially recognized relationships between adults.