Effects of Homosexual Parents on Children

¶ … Homosexual Parents on Children

Conversations around the appropriateness of homosexual parents adopting, having or even raising children pose the argument of the effects on the children. However, research of the effects is rare, as well as limited in the direct topic. To follow is a review of key pieces of literature discussing the concepts of diverse family environments and the effects the environments.

Evidence supports the knowledge that children do not learn how to be homosexual by interacting and upbringing by homosexual parents. In fact, more research leads to the belief that children of homosexual families have a broader understanding of sexuality and awareness, and most information points to a heterosexual environment in the learning process (Gabb, 2004). Suggesting that learning environments need more diversity, yet there is the stigmatic thought that "social codes of decency" (Gabb, 2004) are "universal truths and normality's" (Gabb, 2004) of what would be deemed as natural Christian-based forms of sexual behavior. While a household maybe diverse in sexual orientation, children of a homosexual relationship continue to learn and be aware of the complexities of same sex relationships (Wyers, 1987). Children learn the complexities of terminology and discrimination of roles within a household from the point-of-view of society. They hear terminology, derogatory at times, that supposedly define the role of one or both of the parents (Wyers, 1987).

Children of homosexual households grow up learning the social contexts of these special relationships. However, many argue that same sex parents damage the children irreversibly. According to Savin-Williams and Dube, (1998), MacDonald (1983) argues that such family relationships provide an unhealthy environment for the youth. Such environments, as argued by MacDonald, are uncommon and create traumatic environments that can restructure a child's life course (Savin-Williams & Dube, 1998). Yet, the little research that concludes that there is a certain amount of ambivalence to regarding relationship structures within a household, especially in cases of adoption (Goldberg, Smith, & Kashy, 2010). Heterosexual households suffer from environment where procreation is lacking, a certain amount of sadness in adoptive scenarios, and the homosexual households see adoption as a form of building a family, not as a solution (Goldberg, Smith, & Kashy, 2010). Thus, in cases of adopted children households with homosexual parental units show improved relationship skills as the child grows, because of the diverseness within the household but also the understanding of the complexities of a loving family (Goldberg, Smith, & Kashy, 2010).

A child develops in a heterosexual household differently than a homosexual household, yet children still arrive at the same sets of relationship skills. Both types of parents show interpersonal strengths as well as vulnerabilities (Goldberg, Smith, & Kashy, 2010). Both types of environments also provide guidance for the child in terms of life's complex contextual stresses and provide equal amount of support and fostering of joy and happiness (Goldberg, Smith, & Kashy, 2010). Families of either types of structures show that Lesbian mothers have greater fulfillment in their role as mother, thus showing that the impact of family happiness is not necessarily with the child's experience but rather that the parents are the ones deeply impacted (Chan, Brooks, Raboy, & Patterson, 1998). Role responsibility distribution for the up bringing is different in same sex parent households, thus implying a different set of skills learned by the child in their adulthood (Chan, Brooks, Raboy, & Patterson, 1998). Skills learned by a young boy for instance in a lesbian-based home will be how to be both firm and gentle as a parent when they have children of their own; such examples as the aforementioned, show that children of homosexual households learn diversity skills for their own future family.

Generic family systems imply that the "subsystems within a family do not function separately from each other," but rather work in a cohesive manner (Chan, Brooks, Raboy, & Patterson, 1998). However, the division of roll and responsibilities are clearly defined in heterosexual relationships, and homosexual relationships have a tendency to avoid division of roles. Children in homosexual families learn lifelong relationships with share the responsibilities of being a parent (Chan, Brooks, Raboy, & Patterson, 1998). A child's adjustment under any type of parental upbringing is dependent upon the decisions by the parents and not by their sexual orientation (Chan, Brooks, Raboy, & Patterson, 1998).

Studies regarding gender development and sexual orientation from children of lesbian and gay parents face criticism on the "grounds that atypical gender development and/or nonheterosexuality are neither illnesses nor disabilities." (Patterson, 2009) Behavior by a child that conforms to familiar norms is constantly under scrutiny, but there has been a limited study from children behaviors resulting in homosexual parents (Patterson, 2009). Case in point, the likelihood of any child that affected by the stresses of a family (heterosexual or homosexual in nature) by divorce or separation will not like become hetero or homo sexual in their relationship preference. More likely, children will naturally have relationship stresses in because of the stress of the values of commitment (Patterson, 2009). For instance,

"Families of the first type undergo stresses associated with parental divorce and separation, whereas families of the second type do not necessarily experience problems. Even though all have lesbian or gay parents, children's needs and experiences may accordingly often be different in the two kinds of families." (Patterson, 2009)

In a study with results posted in 1978, a researcher by the name of Green studied a variet of children ranging in a variety of ages (3 years to 20 years). The study reveals that none of the children, or young adults, exhibit homosexual tendencies and normal desires of positions of occupation (1978). Children reviewed came from gay households and deemed normal upon the conclusion of the study (1978).