Sociologists Challenge Data on Gay Parenting

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.”