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. Same-sex couples can become parents through means of former relationships, co-parenting, surrogacy, adoption, and donor insemination, although major legal discrimination continues to challenge this process for families. The difficulty faced by many of these couples to have children oftentimes results in even more nurturing environments. This variance in route to parenthood can make same-sex couples that are having children more motivated to be doing so. “Planned families reflect the desire of sexual minorities to have children outside of heteronormative circumstances” (Moore 2013:495). Non-heterosexual parents on average have stronger relationships with their children th... ... middle of paper ... ...l preference, and cognitive development have been tracked for these children into adulthood. Study after study have asked different questions in attempts to find similarities and differences in children raised in these two different family structures, but scientific consensus shows that there are no noticeable differences in children brought up by a gay or lesbian couple. Dr. Hicks (2008), a scholar at the University of Salford, stated profoundly that “instead of asking whether gay parenting is bad for kids, we should ask how contemporary discourses of sexuality maintain the very idea that lesbian and gay families are essentially different and, indeed, deficient.” By viewing same-sex parenting as an equal means of bringing up a child, research could move on to deeper studies that incorporate this family structure into analyses of children, marriages, and families.
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
Discrimintaion and equality in society is faced amongst people every day. One certain subject that seems to get most of this attention is whether or not homosexual couples should be able to adopt. Same sex couples should be able to adopt children for many reasons. Children that are raised by same sex parents are predominantly taught to be more open minded, have a greater sense of tolerance, and are thought of to be role models for equality in relationships and life. Most would say that these children will face issues regarding their parents sexual orientation, but this is not so. Children of same sex parents have studied to show very few differences in achievement, mental health, and social function as a child that is raised in a heterosexual household. Same sex parents will allow their child to express themselves through different talents and other attributes that there child seems to be indulged in. These children are often showing more loving, nurturing ,and outgoing behaviors that is exposed to them through gay parenting.
Homosexual couples should be granted the same freedom to adopt children like heterosexual couples because there are so many children in the foster care who need a nurturing home; it is narrow-minded to think that only heterosexual couples have the capability of raising a child properly; and it is prejudice to exclude homosexuals from adopting a child based on their sexuality. A parent-child relationship may be one of the most sacred and cherished gifts in life but it is also a privilege. The main purpose of adoption is not just for the satisfaction of a couple, regardless of their sexuality—ultimately, it is for the well-being of the adopted 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.
Homosexuals adopting and having children has been a hot topic for debate over the past couple of decades. It is a topic in which many people have very strong moral and ethical beliefs about. The main focus of many of these debate centers around the children to be adopted by homosexual parents. People apposed to the idea of homosexuals adopting and parenting children may not just be apposed to the idea of homosexuals have the right to be parents but may be more concerned for the well being of the child. This is not irrational to worry about the children in this situation because we want the children to have the best lives possible. But are there any justifications to thinking homosexual parents are any worse than traditional heterosexual parents? In this paper I hope to analyze the differences of being raised in a homosexual family versus being raised in a traditional family and see if really matters if you parents are homosexual.
Gay parents rights group argue that being raised by two parents of the same sex provides a balanced and healthy approach to parenting. This is untrue, being raised by gay parents means that the family unit has an unbalanced ratio of male and female role models in the home environment, you could reasonably expect that this imbalance would spread into the parents circle of friends and the people that the family socialise with on a regular basis. Children look for both a mother and a father and benefit from having both in the home. Ellis (2001) stated, "Gender plays a large role...we may not think these differences are politically correct but, by God, they're developmentally correct.
Today there are many studies which show that children of same-sex families are healthier and have better care than children of different- sex marriages. These studies are based on the assumption that in every home where love reigns, understanding and respect, a child always will have well educated. In the year 2008 President Barack Obama gave a speech, where support same-sex marriage. However, there is a large majority in society that says that children of same-sex couples are negatively motivated by family architectures in that have grown. Households with different-sex marriages are those that the government continues to recognize as the ideal home for marriage, these...
The sexuality and development of children with gay parents must be most affected by the rearing of the gay parents. Does having gay parents affect a child’s mental health and growth? Can education and socialization be decreased with the presence of gay parents? How could it be possible that children are not affected by having two parents of the same sex? Doesn’t this cause some gender confusion for the child? How can a child develop properly without the experience of both a male and female role model? Will the child be at risk for molestation of a homosexual parent?
One main reason why same sex couples should be allowed to adopt, without facing discrimination from others with regards to their sexual orientation, is so that more children would be able to have a loving, stable home and an actual family. “The goal of our adoption and foster care system is to provide all children with permanent, stable homes with loving and supportive parents, but discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation hinders that” (Hunt and Krehely). The 14,000 children that do not have a home could have one if it was not fo...
I’m trying to research all the issues that seem to effect a child’s development. We have seen on the media how they say that having a same sex parents effects the children. They make a big deal that they are not fit raise children. It is a confusing topic that we have to address and rule out.
Misunderstanding and public perception, make many same sex parental units hesitant, and at times fearful, to disclose their family structure to the child’s school system or to live openly amongst their peers. LGBT parents that live in strong predominately gay communities are shown to be more confident and open regarding their lifestyle compared to others in communities where conservative values are expressed. Additionally, Rimalower and Caty cite, “Litovich and Langhout (2004) contend that while these children start school feeling proud of their families, negativity and disapproval lead them to become silent, necessitating that parents prepare their children for heterosexism and homophobia, from peers and teachers
There indicators of child developmental outcomes were categorized into parent and child relationship quality, children’s cognitive development, children’s gender role behavior, children’s gender identity, children’s sexual preference, and children’s social and emotional development. There analysis showed that children with same-sex parents fared equally to children raised by heterosexual parents when comparing developmental outcomes. Same-sex parents also reported a significantly better relationship with their children than heterosexual parents, which was measured by the parent or child perception of the quality of their relationship. This goes back to the argument that parent sexuality has no impact on the child but rather the relationship between the parent and the child has is the most impactful. In Crowl, Ahn and Baker (2008) meta-analysis study also found that the parent sexual orientation had no effect on gender identity, cognitive development, psychological adjustment, and sexual
Marriage naturally creates families; it provides the conditions for a healthy environment that is beneficial to the upbringing of children. Opponents of same-sex marriage often ground their arguments on parental and religious concerns. Many argue that sa...