Same-Sex Parents and Their Children Essay

All families face challenges in their everyday life. For some, the challenges are easier to handle while for others, surmounting those challenges can be more difficult. Over the years, the LGBT community in the US has faced many hurdles. Whether it’s the legalization of same-sex marriage to adoption rights to alimony, child support and child custody in case of divorce, legislation specific to gay and lesbian couples still has a long way to go.

Bos, H. M., Van Balen, F., & Van den Boom, D. C. (2007). Child adjustment and parenting in planned lesbian-parent families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77, 38-48. doi:

First of all, the social development of children and adolescents has been studied extensively with a consensus that the children have typical development. Jennifer L. Wainright and Charlotte J. Patterson, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia conducted a study that looked at 44 teenagers (12–18 years old) with same-sex parents and a matched sample of 44 teenagers with opposite-sex parents. Results indicated that children develop normal peer relationships. Differences noted in peer relationships were not related to whether adolescents were raised by same-sex

Through many years, children growing up in single family homes has been discovered as problems. “At first glance, defending single mothers and their children. Raised by a strong and resourceful single mother, I turned out OK” (Wilcox). Being raised up with one parent seems to be stressful and impossible, but for decades its become possible to happen. In the society today, there are children growing up overcoming emotional stages and achieving their goals whether if they have both parents to show them difficult paths in their life that they will overcome as a growing human being. The problems that occurs within raising a child in a single family home compared to a married home can be different or the same depending on the disciplinary actions. There are many questions asked, does a child need both parent figures to be raised? Does a son need a father figure, does a daughter need a mother figure? Among all the questions asked, is there a person taking care the main responsible with much undertaking, on the single parenting topic it has become an interesting argument. People need to be more informed with raising a child. Raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family, it is more to how a parent is discipline and having a proper process of teaching their child with learning how to be mature and respectful. Children of a single home can be progressive with the same emotional, social able, and interactive behavioral skills that is raised with both parents.

The readers of this article could possibly be those who do not accept same-sex couples raising kids. The opposite could be true and the audience might be for gay people who are interested in the development of laws allowing them to marry and raise kids. The author’s position recognizes the controversy behind same-sex couple raising children and the confusion with explaining it to children. However, she believes that people should learn to accept and respect these new developments in our

There is always a debate going on within the LGBTQ+ community. One conflict of interests questions whether or not same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children. People are claiming that development is being affected by the young who are raised by a gay, lesbian, or bisexual couple. Americans should start worrying about their own children. Those who are brought up with two mommies or two daddies are not being affected in any way and should be treated no differently than those with parents of the opposite gender.

There is an even larger number of single gays and lesbians who are raising children across the country, and the number of single parents is are not even included in the research conducted on families headed by gays and lesbians (Gilgoff).

The main concern that homosexual parents worry about is their child or children being teased, or hiding facts about their parents to avoid being bullied (Meezan 103). I recently read an article from ABC News and in the article a married homosexual couple was shocked that they are not allowed to adopt a child. They were told that in order to adopt only one parent can be listed on the birth certificate. They feel that the laws that are aimed at the adults are hurting the children who really need homes (James).

In today’s world, most of society still does not approve of gay couples being parents for a number of reasons. Some believe that by the parents being gay it will make their children gay too. Others believe that gay couples should not be parents, because the Bible only says that a child should honour their mother and father. However, others think that there is nothing wrong with gay people adopting children and becoming parents. The reasons that gay couples should be more welcomed as parents is that they have more stable relationships than most heterosexual marriages, they offer their kids two full-time parents, and being in a ‘family’ is better than the foster care system.

Gay parents are facing discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Twenty-two states currently allow single gays to adopt and 21 states currently allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt in the U.S. (Mallon, 2007, p. 6). The ability of gay couples to rear a child should not be denied only because they are gay. Homosexuals may be looked down upon by society, but they still are humans and have morals. These morals they possess, may influence a child more than those morals taught to a child with heterosexual parents. All over the world, children suffer in families consisting of alcoholics, drug abusers, and sexual abusers (Powell, 2007, p.1). It is not possible that these environments are safer than what would be provided by homosexual

Children raised by homosexual’s couples are often taught to be open-minded and display love towards everyone. In heterosexual families children were taught the dos and don’ts of his or her sex. In other case in homosexual families children were taught to dream big. According to the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Clark University's “Goldberg interviewed 46 adults who grew up with at least one gay parent. Twenty-eight of the interviewees independently mentioned that they felt their upbringing made them more tolerant and accepting.”

There is also sexual diversity which is gay and lesbian households. Week et al. (1999) say that there is a large degree of choice in gay and lesbian households. They have the term ‘chosen families’.

Finding the perfect mate, getting married, having children; as a child, many fantasize about the big events to come in their adult life. How would you feel if those events weren’t something that you could experience because of government laws? Of the fifty states in the U.S., only six allow same-sex couples to get married, even fewer allow same-sex couples their full rights as parents. State laws aren’t the only laws to blame; some federal laws also inhibit same-sex marriage, benefits, adoption, and parenting rights. There are even laws prohibiting same-sex couples from becoming adoptive parents altogether. Rights should not be limited because of sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, or creed; that’s discrimination. Same-sex couples

Gay and lesbian marriages or partnerships have been increasing since the 1980’s (Macionis & Plummer, 2012). Moreover, in some countries such as the United States, gay couples are allowed to adopt children (Macionis & Plummer, 2012). Kimmel

Over the years there has been many studies conducted on the well being of children with same sex parents. These studies often debate on whether same sex parents carry disadvantages to the child. Researchers who object to same sex parent often believes that children raised in these types of families suffer more emotional problems (McAllister 2016). These studies often tend to blame parents sexual orientation as the main cause of children’s emotional problems rather than looking at outside aspects that contributes to emotional imbalances. The basis of this selected literature is to give an overview of studies that demonstrated that children’s of same sex couples have good relationship with their parents at home. However, both parents and children have concerns about peer reaction in regards to potential being chosen to be bullied.