Abstract
The struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights has progressed significantly over the past half century. As part of this struggle, issues related to parenting have also received significant attention. Concern that children are negatively impacted by having gay parents has been prominent recently. Children come to LGBT families in a variety of ways. Surrogacy and adoption are reviewed as means of creating families. Also, children may come into lesbian or gay families after a parent comes out. Demographic and economic data on same-gender families are discussed here. The research on the outcome of children living with lesbian and gay parents, especially with regard to developmental outcomes, is examined. The legal system has had to adapt to new family configurations, which has been complicated by the various jurisdictions involved; this has to do with both family creation and dissolution. Healthy parents bring about healthy families; formal social recognition of marriage fosters this outcome. Finally, the policy statements of professional organizations concerning children and same-sex marriage and adoption are highlighted.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Gates GJ. LGBT parenting in the United States. Los Angeles, CA: Williams Institute at UCLA Law School; 2013. http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/LGBT-Parenting.pdf.
Bradford J, Barrett K, Honnold JA. The 2000 census and same-sex households: a user’s guide. New York: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, The Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory, and The Fenway Institute; 2002. www.ngltf.org.
Erikson JM, Erikson EH. The Life Cycle Completed. New York, NY: WW Norton; 1997.
National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. http://www.thetaskforce.org/static_html/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_full.pdf. Published on February 4, 2011. Accessed December 3, 2013.
Regnerus, M. How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Soc Sci Res 2012; 41(4): 752–70.
The Regnerus Fallout. Human Rights Campaign. http://www.regnerusfallout.org/ Accessed November 15, 2015.
Movement Advancement Project, Family Equality Council and Center for American Progress, “All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families, “ October 2011, (Condensed Version).
N.J. gay couple fight for custody of twin 5-year-old girls. NJ.com http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nj_gay_couple_fight_for_custod.html Accessed January 17, 2014.
Konnoth CJ, Gates GJ. Same-sex couples and immigration in the United States. Williams Institute, UCLA; May 2014. Retrieved from http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Gates-Konnoth-Binational-Report-Nov-2011.pdf.
Gartrell N, Banks A, Hamilton J, et al. The National Lesbian Family Study: 2. Interviews with mothers of toddlers. Am J Orthopsychiatry 1999;69(3):362–369.
Gartrell N, Banks A, Reed N, et al. The National Lesbian Family Study: 3. Interviews with mothers of five-year-olds. Am J Orthopsychiatry 2000; 70(4):542–548.
Gartrell N, Rodas C, Deck A, et al. The USA National Lesbian Family Study: Interviews with Mothers of 10-Year-Olds. Feminism & Psychology 2006;16(2):175–192.
Gartrell N, Bos H. US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: Psychological Adjustment of 17-Year-Old Adolescents. Pediatrics 2010;126(1):28–36.
Gartrell NK, Bos HMW, Goldberg NG. Adolescents of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: sexual orientation, sexual behavior, and sexual risk exposure. Arch Sex Behav 2011;40(6):1199–209.
Lick DJ, Tornello SL, Riskind RG, et al. Social Climate for Sexual Minorities Predicts Well-Being Among Heterosexual Offspring of Lesbian and Gay Parents. Sex Res Soc Policy 2012;9:99–112.
United States vs. Windsor, 570 U.S. ____(2013). (Docket NO. 12–307).
Buffie WC. Public Health Implications of Same-Sex Marriage. Am J Public Health 2011;101(6):986–90.
Health Care Disparities in Same Sex Partner Households. American Medical Association. https://www.amaassn. org/ssl3/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.ama-assn.org&uri=/resources/html/PolicyFinder/policyfiles/HnE/H-65.973.HTM
Health Disparities Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Families. American Medical Association. https://www.amaassn.org/ssl3/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.ama-assn.org&uri=/resources/html/PolicyFinder/policyfiles/DIR/D-65.995.HTM
Partner Co-Adoption. American Medical Assocation. https://www.ama-assn.org/ssl3/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.amaassn.org&uri=%2fresources%2fhtml%2fPolicyFinder%2fpolicyfiles%2fHnE%2fH-60.940.HTM.
Coparent or Second-Parent Adoption by Same-Sex Parents. Pediatrics 2002;109(2):339–40.
Promoting the Well-being of Children whose Parents are Gay or Lesbian. Pediatrics 2013; 131(4):827–30
Position Statement on Issues Related to Homosexuality. American Psychiatric Association. http://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Learn/Archives/Position-2013-Homosexuality.pdf. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
Conger, J.J. (1977). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the year 1976: Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council of Representatives. American Psychologist, 32, 408–438.
Paige, R.U. (2005). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the legislative year 2004. Minutes of the meeting of the Council of Representatives July 28 & 30, 2004, Honolulu, HI
Resolution on Marriage Equality for Same Sex Couples. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/about/policy/samesex.aspx. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Parents. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Policy_Statements/2008/Gay_Lesbian_Bisexual_or_Transgender_Parents.aspx. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Harris, C.E. (2016). LGBT Parenting. In: Eckstrand, K., Ehrenfeld, J. (eds) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Healthcare. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19752-4_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19752-4_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19751-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19752-4
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)