Gay Parenting Essay Introduction Example For Students

Gay Parenting Essay Introduction Lesbian and Gay ParentingI. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS Charlotte J. Patterson University of Virginia Like families headed by heterosexual parents, lesbian and gay parents and their children are a diverse group (Martin, 1993). Unlike heterosexual parents and their children, however, lesbian and gay parents and their children are often subject toprejudice because of sexual orientation that turns judges, legislators, professionals, and the public against them, frequentlyresulting in negative outcomes such as loss of physical custody, restrictions on visitation, and prohibitions against adoption(Falk, 1989; Editors of the Harvard Law Review, 1990). As with all socially stigmatized groups, the beliefs held generally insociety about lesbians and gay men are often not based in personal experience, but are instead culturally transmitted (Herek,1991). The purpose of this summary of research findings on lesbian and gay parents and their children is to assist psychologistsand other professionals to evaluate widespread beliefs in the light of empirical data and in this way ameliorate the negativeeffects of unwarranted prejudice. Because many beliefs about lesbian and gay parents and their children are open to empiric al test, psychological research canevaluate their accuracy. Systematic research comparing lesbian and gay adults to heterosexual adults only began in the late1950s, and research comparing children of gay and lesbian parents with those of heterosexual parents is of a more recentvintage. Research on lesbian and gay adults began with Evelyn Hookers landmark study (1957) and culminated with thedeclassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 (Gonsiorek, 1991). Case reports on children of gay and lesbianparents began to appear in the psychiatric literature in the early 1970s (e.g., Osman, 1972; Weeks, Derdeyn, ; Langman,1975) and have continued to appear (e.g., Agbayewa, 1984). Beginning with the pioneering work of Martin and Lyon (1972),first person and fictionalized descriptions of life in lesbian mother families have also become available (e.g., Alpert, 1988;Clausen, 1985; Jullion, 1985; Mager, 1975; Perreault, 1975; Pollock ; Vaughn, 1987; Rafkin, 1990). Systematic rese arch onthe children of lesbian and gay parents did not, however, begin to appear in major professional journals until 1978, and most ofthe available research has been published more recently. As this summary will show, the results of existing research comparing gay and lesbian parents to heterosexual parents andchildren of gay or lesbian parents to children of heterosexual parents are quite uniform: common sterotypes are not supportedby the data. Without denying the clarity of results to date, it is important also for psychologists and other professionals to be aware thatresearch in this area has presented a variety of methodological challenges, not all of which have been surmounted in everystudy. As is true in any area of research, questions have been raised with regard to sampling issues, statistical power, and othertechnical matters (e.g., Belcastro, Gramlich, Nicholson, Price, ; Wilson, 1993); no individual study is entirely invincible to suchcriticism. One criticism of this bod y of research (Belcastro et al., 1993) has been that the research lacks external validity because it maynot be representative of the larger population of lesbian and gay parents. This criticism is not justified, because nobody knowsthe actual composition of the entire population of lesbian mothers, gay fathers, or their children (many of whom choose toremain hidden) and hence researchers cannot possible evaluate the degree to which particular samples do or do not representthe population. In the long run, it is not the results obtained from any one specific sample, but the accumulation of findings frommany different samples that will be most meaningful. Research in this area has also been criticized for using poorly matched or no control groups in designs that call for suchcontrols. Particularly notable in this category has been the tendency in some studies to compare development among children ofa group of divorced lesbian mothers, many of whom are living with lesbian partners, to t hat among children of a group ofdivorced heterosexual mothers who are not currently living with heterosexual partners. It will be important for future research todisentangle maternal sexual orientation from maternal status as partnered or unpartnered. Other criticisms have been that most studies have involved relatively small samples, that there have been inadequacies inassessment procedures employed in some studies, and that the classification of parents as lesbian, gay, or heterosexual hassometimes been problematic (e.g., some women classified by researchers as lesbian might be regarded as bisexual by otherobservers). It is significant, however, that even with all the questions and/or limitations that may characterize research in thearea, none of the published research suggests conclusions different from those that will be summarized below. This summary consists of four sections. In the first, results of research on lesbian and gay adults (and parents) are summarized. In the second section, a summary of results from research comparing children of lesbian and gay parents with those ofheterosexual parents or with established norms is presented. The third section summarizes research on heterogeneity amonglesbian and gay families with children. The fourth section provides a brief conclusion. A. Lesbian and Gay Parents One belief that often underlies both judicial decision-making in custody litigation and public policies governing foster care andadoption has been the belief that lesbians and gay men are not fit to be parents. In particular, courts have sometimes assumedthat gay men and lesbians are mentally ill, that lesbians are less maternal than heterosexual women, and that lesbians and gaymens relationships with sexual partners leave little time for ongoing parent-child interactions (Editors of the Harvard LawReview, 1990). Results of research to date have failed to confirm any of these beliefs (Falk, 1989, 1994; Patterson, 1994b,1995b, 1996). Ment al Health of Lesbians and Gay Men The psychiatric, psychological, and social-work professions do not consider homosexual orientation to be a mental disorder. More than 20 years ago, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders,stating that homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social or vocationalcapabilities (American Psychiatric Association, 1980). In 1975, the American Psychological Association took the sameposition and urged all mental health professionals to help dispel the stigma of mental illness that had long been associated withhomosexual orientation (American Psychological Association, 1975). The National Association of Social Workers has a similarpolicy (National Association of Social Workers, 1994). The decision to remove homosexual orientation from the list of mental disorders reflects the results of extensive research,conducted over three decades, showing that homosexual orientation is not a psychological maladjustment (Gonsiorek, 1991;Reiss, 1980; Hart, Roback, Tittler, Weitz, Walston, ; McKee, 1978). The social and other ci rcumstances in which lesbiansand gay men live, including exposure to widespread prejudice and discrimination, often cause acute distress; but there is noreliable evidence that homosexual orientation per se impairs psychological functioning (Freedman, 1971; Gonsiorek, 1991;Hart et al., 1978; Hooker, 1957; Reiss, 1980). Fitness of Lesbians and Gay Men as Parents Beliefs that gay and lesbian adults are not fit parents likewise have no empirical foundation (Cramer, 1986; Falk, 1989; Gibbs,1988; Patterson, 1996). Lesbian and heterosexual women have not been found to differ markedly either in their overall mentalhealth or in their approaches to child rearing (Kweskin ; Cook, 1982; Lyons, 1983; Miller, Jacobsen, ; Bigner, 1981;Mucklow ; Phelan, 1979; Pagelow, 1980; Rand, Graham, ; Rawlings, 1982; Thompson, McCandless, ; Strickland, 1971),nor have lesbians romantic and sexual relationships with other women been found to detract from their ability to care for theirchildren (Pagelow, 1980). R ecent evidence suggests that lesbian couples who are parenting together tend to divide householdand family labor relatively evenly (Hand, 1991; Patterson, 1995a) and to report satisfaction with their couple relationships (Koepke, Hare, Moran, 1992; Patterson, 1995a). Research on gay fathers hassimilarly found no reason to believe them unfit as parents (Barret Robinson, 1990; Bigner and Bozett, 1990; Bozett, 1980,1989). B. Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents In addition to judicial concerns about gay and lesbian parents themselves, courts have voiced three major kinds of fears abouteffects of lesbian or gay parents on children. The first general concern is that development of sexual identity will be impaired among children of lesbian or gay parents-forinstance, that children brought up by gay fathers or lesbian mothers will show disturbances in gender identity and/or in genderrole behavior (Falk, 1989; Hitchens Kirkpatrick, 1985; Kleber, Howell, Tibbits-Kleber, 1986). It has also beensuggested that children brought up by lesbian mothers or gay fathers will themselves become gay or lesbian (Falk, 1989;Kleber et al., 1986). A second category of concerns involves aspects of childrens personal development other than sexual identity (Falk, 1989;Editors of the Harvard Law Review, 1990; Kleber et al., 1986). For example, courts have expressed fears that children in thecustody of gay or lesbian parents will be more vulnerable to mental breakdown, will exhibit more adjustment difficulties andbehavior problems, and will be less psychologically healthy than children growing up in homes with heterosexual parents. A third category of specific fears expressed by the courts is that children of lesbian and gay parents may experience difficultiesin social relationships (Editors of the Harvard Law Review, 1990; Falk, 1989; Hitchens ; Kirkpatrick, 1985). For example,judges have repeatedly expressed concern that children living with lesbian mothers may be stigmatized, teased, or otherwisetraumatized by peers. Another common fear is that children living with gay or lesbian parents may be more likely to be sexuallyabused by the parent or by the parents friends or acquaintances. Sexual Identity Three aspects of sexual identity are considered in the research: gender identity concerns a persons self-identification as male orfemale; gender-role behavior concerns the extent to which a persons activities, occupations, and the like are regarded by theculture as masculine, feminine, or both; sexual orientation refers to a persons choice of sexual partnersi.e., heterosexual,homosexual, or bisexual (Money Earhardt, 1972; Stein, 1993). To examine the possibility that children in the custody oflesbian mothers or gay fathers experience disruptions of sexual identity, research relevant to each of these three major areas ofconcern is summarized below. Gender identity. In studies of children ranging in age from 5 to 14, results of projective testing and related interview procedures have revealed normal development of gender identity among children of lesbian mothers (Green, 1978; Green,Mandel, Hotvedt, Gray, Smith, 1986; Kirkpatrick, Smith, Roy, 1981). More direct assessment techniques to assessgender identity have been used by Golombok, Spencer, and Rutter (1983) with the same result; all children in this studyreported that they were happy with their gender, and that they had no wish to be a member of the opposite sex. There was noevidence in any of the studies of gender identity difficulties among children of lesbian mothers. No data have been reported inthis area for children of gay fathers. Gender-Role Behavior. A number of studies have examined gender-role behavior among the offspring of lesbian mothers(Golombok et al., 1983; Gottman, 1990; Green, 1978; Hoeffer, 1981; Kirkpatrick et al., 1981; Patterson, 1994a). Thesestudies reported that such behavior among children of lesbian mothers fell within typical limits for conventional sex roles. Fo rinstance, Kirkpatrick and her colleagues (1981) found no differences between children of lesbian versus heterosexual mothersin toy preferences, activities, interests, or occupational choices. Rees (1979) administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) to 24 adolescents, half of whom had divorced lesbian and halfof whom had divorced heterosexual mothers. The BSRI yields scores on masculinity and femininity as independent factors andan androgyny score from the ratio of masculinity to femininity. Children of lesbian and heterosexual mothers did not differ onmasculinity or on androgyny, but children of lesbian mothers reported greater psychological femininity than did those ofheterosexual mothers. This result would seem to run counter to expectations based on stereotypes of lesbians as lacking infemininity, both in their own demeanor and in their likely influences on children. Sex role behavior of children was also assessed by Green and his colleagues (1986). In interviews with the chil dren, nodifferences between 56 children of lesbian and 48 children of heterosexual mothers were found with respect to favoritetelevision programs, favorite television characters, or favorite games or toys. There was some indication in interviews withchildren themselves that the offspring of lesbian mothers had less sex-typed preferences for activities at school and in theirneighborhoods than did children of heterosexual mothers. Consistent with this result, lesbian mothers were also more likely thanheterosexual mothers to report that their daughters often participated in rough-and-tumble play or occasionally played withmasculine toys such as trucks or guns; however, they reported no differences in these areas for sons. Lesbian mothers wereno more or less likely than heterosexual mothers to report that their children often played with feminine toys such as dolls. Inboth family types, however, childrens sex-role behavior was seen as falling within normal limits. In summary, the resear ch suggests that children of lesbian mothers develop patterns of gender-role behavior that are much likethose of other children. No data are available as yet in this area for children of gay fathers. Sexual Orientation. A number of investigators have also studied a third component of sexual identity: sexual orientation(Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, Mikach, 1995; Bozett, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1989; Gottman, 1990; Golombok et al., 1983; Green,1978; Huggins, 1989; Miller, 1979; Paul, 1986; Rees, 1979). In all studies, the great majority of offspring of both gay fathersand lesbian mothers described themselves as heterosexual. Taken together, the data do not suggest elevated rates ofhomosexuality among the offspring of lesbian or gay parents. For instance, Huggins (1989) interviewed 36 teenagers, half ofwhom were offspring of lesbian mothers and half of heterosexual mothers. No children of lesbian mothers identified themselvesas lesbian or gay, but one child of a heterosexual mother did; this diff erence was not statistically significant. In a recent study,Bailey and his colleagues (1995) studied adult sons of gay fathers and found more than 90% of the sons to be heterosexual. Pearl Harbor EssayResearch on parent-child relations in heterosexual families has consistently revealed that childrens adjustment is often related toindices of maternal mental health. One might therefore expect factors that enhance mental health among lesbian mothers or gayfathers also to benefit their children. Lott-Whitehead and Tully (1993) reported considerable variability in the amounts of stressdescribed by lesbian mothers, but did not describe sources of stress nor their relations to child adjustment. Rand, Graham, andRawlings (1982) found that lesbian mothers sense of psychological well-being was associated with their degree of opennessabout their lesbian identity with employers, ex-husbands, and children; mothers who felt more able to disclose their lesbianidentity were more likely to express a positive sense of well-being. Unfortunately, no information about the relations of thesefindings to adjustment or development among children of these women has been reported to date . Another area of great diversity among families with a gay or lesbian parent concerns the degree to which a parents gay orlesbian identity is accepted by other significant people in a childs life. Huggins (1989) found a tendency for children whosefathers were rejecting of maternal lesbian identities to report lower self-esteem than those whose fathers were neutral orpositive. Due to small sample size and absence of significance tests, this finding should be regarded as preliminary andsuggestive rather than definitive. Huggins (1989) finding does, however, raise questions about the extent to which reactions ofimportant adults in a childs environment can influence responses to discovery of a parents gay or lesbian identity. Effects of the age at which children learn of parental homosexuality have also been a topic of study. Paul (1986) found thatoffspring who were told of parental gay, lesbian, or bisexual identity either in childhood or in late adolescence found the newseasier to co pe with than those who first learned of it during early to middle adolescence. Huggins (1989) also reported thatthose who learned of maternal lesbianism in childhood had higher self-esteem than did those who were not informed of it untilthey were adolescents. From a clinical perspective, it is widely agreed that early adolescence is a particularly difficult time forchildren to learn that a father is gay or that a mother is lesbian (Bozett, 1980; Pennington, 1987; Schulenberg, 1985). Some investigators have also raised questions about the potential role of peer support in helping children to deal with issuesraised by having a gay or lesbian parent. Lewis (1980) was the first to suggest that childrens silence on the topic of parentalsexual orientation with peers and siblings might add to their feelings of isolation from other children. All of the 11 adolescentsstudied by OConnell (1993) reported exercising selectivity about when they disclosed information about their mothers lesbianid entities. Paul (1986) found that 29% of his young adult respondents had never known anyone else with a gay, lesbian, orbisexual parent, suggesting that the possibility of isolation is very real for some young people. Potentially negative effects of any such isolation have not, however, been uncovered in research to date. Lewis (1980) suggested thatchildren would benefit from support groups consisting of other children of gay or lesbian parents, and young people interviewedby OConnell (1993) agreed, but systematic evaluations of such groups have not been reported. In summary, research on diversity among families with gay and lesbian parents and on the potential effects of such diversity onchildren is only beginning (Martin 1989; Patterson, 1992, 1995b) Existing data on children of lesbian mothers suggest thatchildren may fare better when mothers are in good psychological health and living with a lesbian partner with whom they sharechild care. Children may find it easier to deal with issues raised by having lesbian or gay parents if they learn of parental sexualorientation during childhood rather than during adolescence. Existing data also suggest the value of a supportive milieu, in whichparental sexual orientation is accepted by other significant adults and in which children have contact with peers in similarcircumstances. The existing data are, however, still very sparse, and any conclusions must be seen as tentative. It is clear, however, that existing research provides no basis for believing that childrens best interests are served by familyconflict or secrecy about a parents gay or lesbian identity, or by requirements that a lesbian or gay parent maintain a householdseparate from that of a same-sex partner. D. Conclusion In summary, there is no evidence to suggest that lesbians and gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial developmentamong children of gay men or lesbians is compromised in any respect relative to that among offspring of heterosex ual parents. Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to childrenof heterosexual parents. Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents areas likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable childrens psychosocial growth. It should be acknowledged that research on lesbian and gay parents and their children is still very new and relatively scarce. Less is known about children of gay fathers than about children of lesbian mothers. Little is known aboutdevelopment of the offspring of gay or lesbian parents during adolescence or adulthood. Sources of heterogeneity have yet tobe systematically investigated. Longitudinal studies that follow lesbian and gay families over time are badly needed. Acknowledgements I wish to thank Clinton Anderson, Natalie Eldridge, Patricia Falk, Mary Henning-Stout, Larry Kurdek, April Martin, BiancaCody Murphy, Vera Paster, and Roy Scrivner for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. II. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY The citations in this annotated bibliography come from a number of sources: from the original APA publication LesbianParents and Their Children, from a PsycLit search on gay and lesbian parenting from the years 1987-1993, and fromrecommendations made by our expert reviewers. We recognize that this bibliography is not all inclusive. The literature onlesbian and gay parenting is rapidly expanding, and we may have missed some resources. Furthermore, there are a number ofdoctoral dissertations on gay and lesbian parenting. We have not included dissertations or some of the material that is writtendirectly for lesbian and gay parents themselves. While primarily drawing upon psychology, we did include some citations fromlaw, psychiatry, and social work publications. The annotated bibliography is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on empirical psychological stud ies. Thesecond section contains book chapters and articles from the periodical literature. The third section contains books. And thebibliography concludes with a section that lists additional resources and organizations. This bibliography was compiled by Bianca Cody Murphy and Lourdes Rodriguez-Nogues with the assistance of Mary Ballou,Edward J. Dunne, Susan Iasenza, Steven James, Linda Jones, Ena Vazquez Nuttall, Gary Ross Reynolds, and WilliamSanchez. Welcome Page | The IndexStories | Should I come out? | Personal Ads | Questions, Questions, Questions | Starting a Family The professional points of view | Religious Views | Legal Help | Sign the GuestbookThe Gay Dad e-mail:emailprotected Last Updated January 12 , 1997 Psychology