Sociologists Challenge Data on Gay Parenting
Families: Sexual orientation has more of an impact on children than previously
reported, say USC professors who reexamined earlier studies.
Taking issue with two decades of research findings
in the politically charged arena of gay parenting, two USC professors say sexual
orientation of parents makes more of a difference than researchers have been
willing to admit.
In a paper reexamining data from 21 studies dating
to 1980, the USC sociologists argue that, while the emotional health of the
children raised by homosexual and heterosexual parents is essentially the same,
they diverge in some notable ways that have been downplayed. Most of the
children studied were raised by women, a factor that--apart from sexual
orientation--may contribute to the differences.
The paper, published this week in the American
Sociological Review, finds that the offspring of lesbians and gays are more
likely to depart from traditional gender roles than the children of heterosexual
couples. They are more open to same-sex relationships, the study says. Teenage
boys are more sexually restrained than peers in heterosexual households, while
teenage girls show the opposite trend, the researchers concluded.
Authors Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz
suggest the differences have been glossed over because gay parenting is such a
volatile issue.
Some states bar adoptions and foster-parenting by
lesbians and gay men. Family courts have taken children away from a gay parent
and awarded custody to a straight relative or former spouse.
In defending the parental rights of homosexuals,
gay activists have pointed to research as evidence that the sexual orientation
of a parent makes no difference.
Stacey, a sociology professor who also holds an
endowed chair in contemporary gender studies at USC, said the approach of
researchers is understandable given the stakes involved. But she maintains that
it has stifled discussion of some intriguing issues of gender and sexuality.
University of Virginia psychology professor
Charlotte J. Patterson, whose work is among the studies examined in the paper,
said she thought Stacey and Biblarz were adopting a more dramatic interpretation
of the differences than she would. But she welcomed the review.
"It's a real contribution to the discussion.
I think it's important to raise these issues," Patterson said. "It
will help to generate further research, which we need in this area."
The USC paper primarily surveyed studies of the
biological children of lesbians. Because there is very little research on gay
male parents, the authors do not attempt to distinguish between parenting of gay
men and lesbians.
Among the findings cited by Stacey and Biblarz:
Compared with the daughters of heterosexual
mothers, the daughters of lesbians more frequently dress, play and behave in
ways that don't conform to sex-typed cultural norms. They show greater interest
in activities with both masculine and feminine qualities. They have higher
aspirations to occupations that are not traditionally female.
In terms of aggression and play, sons of lesbians
behave in less traditionally masculine ways. They are likely to be more
nurturing and affectionate than their counterparts in heterosexual families.
Another study indicated that a significantly
greater proportion of young adult children raised by lesbians had engaged in a
same-sex relationship (six of 25 interviewed) than those raised by a
heterosexual mother (none of 20 interviewed).
Those raised by lesbian mothers were also more
likely to consider a homosexual relationship. But they were not statistically
more likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Teenage and young adult girls raised by lesbian
mothers appear to be more sexually adventurous and less chaste than girls raised
by heterosexual mothers. Sons, on the other hand, were somewhat less sexually
adventurous and more chaste than boys raised by heterosexuals.
The studies indicate sexual orientation has no
measurable effect on the quality of parent-child relationships or on the mental
health of children.
"These studies find no significant
differences between children of lesbian and heterosexual mothers in anxiety,
depression, self-esteem and numerous other measures of social and psychological
adjustment," Stacey and Biblarz wrote.
Indeed, Stacey said she thought there were some
advantages to lesbian parenting, as both partners tended to be highly involved
in the children's lives and were in greater harmony than heterosexual couples in
terms of parenting approaches.
Stacey said reasons for some of the differences
are a mystery. But some of the findings are logical.
Whether one believes homosexuality is a function
of biology or culture, it makes sense, she said, that the child of a
lesbian--probably raised in a fairly tolerant neighborhood--would be more open
to same-sex experiences than the child of a heterosexual.
As for the gender-role differences, the paper
cited findings that heterosexual mothers in one study "were significantly
more likely to prefer that their boys engage in masculine activities and their
girls in feminine ones."
Lesbian mothers didn't care. "Their
preferences for their children's play were gender-neutral."
Article from Los Angelos Times