Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 13:36:02 +0200 (MSZ)
From: Bj|rn Skolander <Bjorn.Skolander@nordiska.uu.se>
Subject: Gay and Lesbian Parentage


Gay and Lesbian Parentage

During the last fifteen years, many studies have been performed 
on children living in families with parents of the same sex, 
although we do not know if the results from these studies are 
available on the Internet. Regarding lesbians' and gay men's 
suitability as caregivers, a review of approximately 60 studies 
showed that sexual orientation may be unrelated to the ability 
of men and women to rear children successfully. Moreover, the 
studies failed to show that children were negatively affected by 
growing up with homosexual parents (Ernulf & Innala, 1991). To 
date, there is no evidence of significant developmental 
difficulties encountered by children of lesbian and gay parents 
(Patterson, 1992, 1995).

Different research methods have been used, and the samples have 
varied in size. Sometimes the scientists who have evaluated the 
results have been "blind" to the sexual orientation of the 
parents. The results have consistently failed to show a 
disadvantage of being raised by homosexual parents.

References:

Ernulf, K. E., & Innala, S. M. (1991). Homosexuella maen och 
lesbiska kvinnor som foeraeldrar: En sammanfattning av aktuell 
forskning [Homosexual men and women as parents: A summary of 
current research]. Nordisk Sexologi, 9(2), 65-74. Language 
Swedish with English abstract.

Patterson, C. J. (1992). Children of lesbian and gay parents. 
Child Development, 63, 1025-1042.

Patterson, C. J. (1995). Sexual orientation and human 
development: An overview. Developmental Psychology, 31(1), 3-11.

--Kurt Ernulf