May 1st, 2001
Research by Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz
For a long time, the pressure has been to “prove” that children of gay and lesbian parents will not be, in any way, any different than children of straight parents. This pressure came mostly from homophobic family court systems that wondered what would happen if a gay or lesbian parent was granted custody.
Now, Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz, both professors at USC, have reviewed 21 studies and are challenging the initial findings which concluded children of gay parents have few distinguishable differences from children of straight parents. The new conclusions find that these children are less likely to conform to traditional ideas of gender roles, gender expectations, and compulsory heterosexuality. Now, that’s what I call liberation!
Coming from a not-so-straight family was a blessing that shaped me into the person I am today. Without rigid ideas of gender and sexuality, my parents never told me, “Girls can’t do that!” and my brother never heard, “Don’t be such a sissy! You’re acting like a girl!” Additionally, dealing with the adversity of homophobia on a daily basis helped me find an inner strength that I carry with me today. I wrote an article specifically about turning out “well-adjusted” because I came from a gay family rather than in spite of it.
Lots of grown sons and daughters like me acknowledge that having gay parents has indeed affected us profoundly. One of my workshops specifically addresses these issues.
If you have tried to do any research on GLBT families, you know the resources are scarce. (And, to the best of my knowledge, there is no research on bi and trans parents, but email me if you know of some and I’d be happy to pass it on to others.) Here are a few links to get you started if you are interested in more information:
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For statistics and research, go to the Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE) website.
Another helpful overview on GLBT parenting — this one from a legal perspective — was created by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“The Different Dimensions of Gay Fatherhood: Exploding the Myths” by Gillian A. Dunne.
(A mostly anecdotal study that came out last year.)