There are critics who feel that the stigma in our society toward gays being accepted is a conflict of issues. This form of relation may affect the welfare of a child’s upbringing. The prospect of a nontraditional upbringing in a same-sex partnership, or marriage ought to be a problem when raising children. Some feel that there is no real negative influence that this form of parenting has on a child. Politics has raised concern, but there is a limited amount of research in this area to corroborate this concern. Should same-sex marriage be an issue when raising children? Some states such as Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut have legalized the holy union between two people; other states offer civil unions, and several offer partner-benefit programs. Whether you are on the right or left side, you still have to consider how this union might affect the children under the care of what most consider being inappropriate in a social or moral level. This is a natural concern for people that might not understand or accept same-sex couples (Wheeler771). The issue that has reached a consensus is on the welfare of children that are being raised by adults that choose to share relations with the same gender, or what census researchers call a “same sex parent household.” With all the controversy about whether a couple of the same-sex is acceptable in our society, you have to wonder how this will affect a child. Some critics have suggested children are doomed to a life of struggle compared with those raised with a traditional mother and father setting (Carpenter). “It is well-established that children do not need parents of each gender to adjust healthily”(Same-sex). Jessica Larson has been raised by a parent that lived a homosexual life... ... middle of paper ... ...matters. Works Cited American Psychological Association. Lesbian & Gay Parenting. Washington: APA. Web. 3 Mar. 2011. . Carpenter, Mackenzie. "What Happens to Kids Raised by Gay Parents?" Post-Gazette.com. 9 June 2007. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. . "Jessica Larson." Personal interview. 3 Mar. 2011. "Jose Rivera." Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2011. "Same-sex Couples Can Be Effective Parents, Resarchers Find." USA Today. 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2011. . Wheeler, S. M. "Same-sex marriage in the Americas: policy innovation for same-sex relationships." Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries 48.4 (2010): 770-771. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. EBSCO. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.
outcomes, and romantic relationships of adolescents with same-sex parents. Child Development, 75, 1886-1898. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00823.x
Tasker, Fiona. "Same-Sex Parenting and Child Development: Reviewing the Contribution of Parental Gender." Journal of Marriage and Family 72.1 (2010): 35–40.
History has showed us that marriage helped stabilize heterosexual couple’s along with same-sex couple’s relationships and that same-sex couples can provide just as loving and protecting of a household for a child as would a heterosexual couple would. Many heterosexual parents raise their children with the same amount of love and care as any heterosexual couple
Although sixteen states have legalized same-sex marriage, the idea of same-sex parenting remains a controversial topic in America. As American families continue to vary from the traditional heterosexual husband and wife headed families, developmental differences among the children reared by two lesbians or two gay men pique the interest of both the public and developmental psychologists. Perhaps children raised by two mothers or two fathers will exhibit much different gender role behaviors and identify differently with their gender than children reared by heterosexual parents. By observing children raised by different parental groups the possible differences, and subsequent benefits, in gender identity and sex roles can be discerned.
Child school outcomes of same-sex parents and whether grades decline or increase if a child is raised by same-sex parents
In recent years, same-sex relationships have become more encompassing in US society. State legislation is changing such as accepting gay marriages, enforcing anti-discrimination laws, and legal gay adoptions; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is becoming public. Gay-headed families, like heterosexuals, are diverse and varying in different forms. Whether a created family is from previous heterosexual relationships, artificial insemination, or adoption, it deserves the same legal rights heterosexual families enjoy. Full adoption rights needs to be legalized in all states to provide a stable family life for children because sexual orientation does not determine parenting skills, children placed with homosexual parents have better well-being than those in foster care, and there are thousands of children waiting for good homes.
America, being the diverse country that it is, has moved on from the idea of the traditional family; one father one mother and 2 children. We are seeing more and more homosexual couples having, adopting and raising their own children. Although some people do not approve of this idea of a family, whether it is due to religious beliefs or just the way that the individuals were raised as a child, it is definitely a reality. They face many obstacles when it comes to them wanting to be parents. People say it is not right, and that it is unnatural, which I feel they think that they have to be twice as “perfect” as the heterosexual parents are. In this paper I plan to discuss the issues that Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) families go through while trying to start a family of their own. The issues will range from adoption and the issues faced in trying to adopt a child, to custody battles and how sexual orientation could play a role in the “well-being” of a child, to how being brought up by a LGBTQ headed home could affect, if in any way, a child’s development.
Homosexuality as a whole has been and is still a very controversial topic globally. There are many different kinds of discussions about the LGBT community, such as gays and lesbians being parents. Some critics tend to believe that homosexual parenting is bad for kids, as if a person’s sexuality determines whether or not they are a good parent.. There is no definite proof that being homosexual makes you a good or bad parent. So, there is no way of being one-hundred percent sure that homosexual parenting results in gender role confusion, psychological harm, or a child being homosexual themselves.
JaeRan, K. (2013, March 5). Report on children adopted by gay and lesbian couples - Stability, Permanency and Adoption Blog. Report on children adopted by gay and lesbian couples - Stability, Permanency and Adoption Blog. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cascw/adoption/2013/03/report-on-children-adopted-by-gay-and-lesbian-couples.html
Citing mental health, conservatives express worries that the children of same-sex parents may likely become confused about their sexual identities or suffer from stigma and its implications (Goldberg, Weeks). Thus, according to such claims, the laws prevent children from being easily harmed. Interestingly, as shown by interviews conducted with adult children of homosexual couples, children grow up to be more tolerant and express no significant mental issues. At the same time, these concerns have real influence and are still materialized through “unequal” laws (Yuval), which same-sex family units must navigate (O’Donnell). For instance, the separation of same-sex couples is disadvantageous for the non-biological parent—they may not possess full legal parenting responsibilities (Joslin). The children, themselves, may be kept from welfare and paternal and economic rights (Gates). Essentially, despite the lack of evidence to validate the bases of many of these laws, the existing, conservative concerns seem to be utilized to legitimize the legal regulations. Independently, these laws pose serious, real material and mental challenges that invalidate, challenge and subvert same-sex parenting and prevent children from obtaining their rights. Overall, these regulations and their implications are likely more detrimental to a child’s mental health than growing up in a same-sex parenting unit. Nonetheless, dominant culture poses these legal interactions as preventive, necessary welfare
This problem or issue is one that is proving to be a bigger one than many people most likely expected. In Today’s more liberal society, homosexuality seeing more acceptance than ever before. Homosexuals and heterosexuals alike have parental instincts and are as interested in beginning families and raising children. A family should be based on love and trust, if these two elements are present in a relationship, homosexual or heterosexual, there would be no reason that the environment the couple creates for a child would be bad. Some say the homosexual lifestyle revolves only around sex, which of course is the most inappropriate subject for a child. (White) For the most part, parents and adults keep what happens behind closed doors, private, therefore, there would be no reason for a homosexual person to flaunt their sex life, especially in front of a child.
Conversely, recent empirical evidence has illustrated the harmful psychological effect of policies restricting marriage rights for same-sex couples. Additionally, children raised by same-sex couples have been shown to be on par with the children of opposite-sex couples in their psychological adjustment, cognitive abilities and social functioning.
There are hundreds of thousands of children who are in foster care and need a home with a family who will love and care for them. Families lead by same-sex couples are viewed as “non-traditional households” and these parents raise their children in very much the same ways as heterosexual parents. These children grow with their adoptive families and if their parents have a stable relationship with each other and with their adoptive children, and have great support systems, then it should not be difficult for those children to thrive in the world as children of gay/lesbian parents.
Since the 1970s, studies on the effect of same-sex parenting on children have been conducted in the United States. Sociological debates have occurred from the idea of allowing same-sex couples to parent. Some groups feel that allowing this would undermine the traditional ideology of marriage and skew the perception of gender roles for their children. Sociologists continue to produce empirical research that studies samples of the approximately 125,000 same-sex couples raising nearly 220,000 children and comparing their roles as parents and the adult personalities of their children to children raised by heterosexual couples. Current scientific research comparing the outcomes of children raised by gay or lesbian parents with children of heterosexual parents consistently shows that same-sex parents are just as capable of raising “psychologically healthy and well-adjusted” children as heterosexual parents. Research comparing children raised by same-sex couples and heterosexual couples found no differences in the adjustment or mental health of these children as adults.
Adopting children in that environment would lack both mother and father figure in their life. For example, “Children without a father figure would have higher risks of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy; however, children without a mother figure deprive emotional security and unique advice that mothers provide (Pro Con).” The question is raised, should adopted children be reared and educated into a lifestyle that isn’t natural before they are old enough to understand the discrepancies? Young children that grow up in same-sex marriage environment may experience confusion and embarrassment in public surroundings; likewise, young adults and teenagers who have family members or who are personally members of the LGBT community may experience embarrassment and unusual social pressure. Children in a stable family with both mother and father figure would provide the best environment for them to mature and be responsible. Some same-sex family dynamics are from previous heterosexual marriages; therefore, this could affect the relationship between children and the immediate family members. Being part of the LGBT community could influence immediate and extended family on whether they accept or reject their relationship to the