Families With Same-Sex Parents Authored by Julia Berardelli ECE 7513 Family Characteristics Mini-Presesntation

Data and Statistics of Same-Sex Families  According to the American Psychological Association, “the American Psychological Association and other health, professional, and scientific organizations have concluded that there is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation.”  In 1976, between 300, 000 and 500,000 gay and lesbian couples were recorded as having children. As of 1990, an estimated 6 to 14 million children have gay or lesbian parents.  Gay and Lesbian parents are raising 4% of all adopted children in the U.S.  The 2010 census showed that the total number of same-sex couple households in the US was 901,997. This represented just under one percent (0.78%) of all households in the US.  Homosexual families make up only 1% of the population.

Comparing and Contrasting Heterosexual Families to Families with Parents of the Same Sex

Family Values Definition of FAMILY: A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household; a group united by a significant shared characteristic. So is there a significant difference between families with same-sex parents and families with a mother and a father? Let’s take a look.  Children’s welfare always comes first  Lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children.  According to some research, kids of gay parents show few differences in achievement, mental health, social functioning and other measures. These kids may have the advantage of open-mindedness, tolerance and role models for equitable relationships. There is little to no difference. In fact… Studies show that since it requires a large amount of planning for same-sex couples to become parents, they can be better prepared to start a family and since natural conception is a major challenge, they are more likely to adopt abandoned and unwanted children.

Work Ethic  The work ethic of families with homosexual parents depends on the family culture and family background of the parents regardless of gender or sexual orientation. If a child’s same-sex parents instill beliefs that hard work and determination lead to success, then that child will have the same chance of experiencing success as their peers from a household with heterosexual parents who have instilled the same values and beliefs.

Religious Practices  There is a cultural bias against homosexuals and religion. What is known today as homosexuality is a modern conception of human sexuality that was non-existent until the 19 th Century and was a concept which was unfathomable and impossible to the writers of sacred texts such as the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures. Many homosexuals are criticized, judged and shunned if they let their sexuality be known by traditional religious organizations.  Homosexual parents have the same rights to educate their children on religion as heterosexual parents. Religious beliefs vary from family to family depending on cultural background traditions. Some families chose to let their children decide their own religious paths, and others teach them to follow the same religious beliefs that have been passed down from earlier generations.  Organizations and schools such as The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry are dedicated to helping LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) people become accepted by faith communities through preaching equality and acceptance.

Educational Views  Children being raised by same-sex couples have nearly the same educational views and achievement potential as children raised by married heterosexual couples.  Parents' income and education are the biggest indicators of a child's educational success, not the gender combinations of the parents.  Because homosexuals make up such a tiny sliver of the American population – only 1 percent – it has been difficult for researchers to conduct a substantial and comprehensive representative study of how their children perform in the classroom. Gay marriage opponents have criticized earlier studies for having sample sizes that are too small.  Educational views are also another factor that may be determined by the families culture and traditions which vary between households, geographic areas and demographic areas as well.

Discipline  How homosexuals discipline their children depends less on sexual orientation, but more on how their own culture disciplines children and how they were disciplined as children by their parents. Just like heterosexual parents, homosexual parents make the choice of how they discipline their children.  This website discusses how a homosexual couple from two completely different cultures decided to discipline their children.  discipline discipline

Common Stereotypes and Myths  Children of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) are at a disadvantage because they do not have parents of each gender.  Same-sex couples do not make good parents.  Children of Same-sex parents are subject to humiliation and bullying. (This one is less of a myth, and more of a stereotype and is a problem that is becoming less prominant in today’s society as our culture grows to be more accepting of different types of families and schools enforcing zero tolerance for bullying of any kind)  Children of Gay and Lesbian parents grow up unhappy and maladjusted.  Children of Gay and Lesbian parents grow up to be homosexual, too.  Children of Gay and Lesbian parents do not do well in school.

Conclusion  There has been a significant amount of research conducted over the past three decades on LGBT families and there are now organizations who support and backup the awareness for social acceptance of homosexual parenting and families. These organizations include the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  The culture of families with homosexual parents almost runs parallel to families with heterosexual parents. In fact, in many cases having same-sex parents leads to better emotional health and equality among family members.  There is more than one way to raise happy, healthy and successful children. Families come in all shapes, sizes, colors and genders.

Websites  psychological-association-says-gay-parents-just-good psychological-association-says-gay-parents-just-good      straights_n_ html straights_n_ html     gay-and-lesbian-parenting gay-and-lesbian-parenting 