(This site is currently being revised to take into account changes in the law.  Summer, 2004.)

Jo Ann Citron welcomes you to the home page of an important research project called "The Gay Divorcee," a study of how same-sex couples break up.

Lesbians and gay men who separate face many of the same problems as our heterosexual divorcing counterparts. We divide property, provide for custody and visitation, and even arrange to share the family pet - all without the guidance that straight couples expect from divorce statutes and family courts. How on earth do we manage it? This study seeks to answer that question. And you can help.

If you have been in a serious, committed relationship that has come to an end, it's likely that you and your partner had to divide property and/or arrange to meet the needs of children. If so, I hope you will participate in the project, which you can do simply by answering the survey questions here on this site. All of the information you submit is confidential and will be used solely for the research that I describe in these pages.

I invite you to read about me, the project, and how your privacy will be secured. And then I hope you will complete the survey form or email me to arrange for a personal interview. I've added a page of frequently asked questions about the project, and links to sites with useful legal information for gays and lesbians. I've also added a link to a press interview.

The information you provide could have an enormous impact on law and public policy as we move closer to legal recognition of our committed relationships. Please pass the word to your friends. Urge them to visit the site and answer the survey.

Thanks.

Jo Ann Citron, Ph.D., J.D.

I am grateful for the support of the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College.