Lesbian parenting has been a hotly debated topic for years, but it has recently drawn more attention as gay rights issues took over the headlines. Critics have long argued that the children of lesbians, and of same-sex couples in general, will face a harder life due to coming from a socially unaccepted family structure. However, a recent study suggests otherwise. Evidence proves that the children of lesbian parents may actually fare better in life than the children of heterosexual parents.
The study, published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that the children of lesbian couples tended to have higher social skills, did better in school, and had fewer incidents of rule-breaking and aggression than the children of heterosexual parents, according to an article published on CNN. The nearly 25-year-old study followed 78 lesbian couples who conceived through sperm donations, regularly assessing the psychological well-being of the children of these couples through questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaire included queries about family and peer relationships, academics, and personal feelings, the results of which were then compared with the answers from children of heterosexual couples.
The findings that the children of lesbians functioned better than those of traditional mother-and-father parentage refute concerns long held by critics of same-sex parenting. Critics have argued that children of same-sex couples are more likely to grow up psychologically disturbed because of harassment and social exclusion, but a number of factors may be behind why this is not the case. For one, homophobia, while still entirely too prevalent in society, has decreased, so the children of same-sex couples are less likely to be harassed solely for that reason. In addition, lesbian couples are typically more involved in the lives of their children so they may deal with issues of harassment and bullying before it can cause any real emotional trauma in the child. This is because for lesbian couples, having a child is a more labor-intensive process, as well as an expensive one, so those who do successfully conceive are more likely to become devoted and communicative parents.
To have a child, lesbian parents must find a sperm donor and undergo an invasive artificial insemination process. Sometimes, several of these processes must occur before a woman can become successfully pregnant, and all of these treatments are costly. For this reason, most lesbian couples wait until they are financially stable and mentally ready to have a child before trying to conceive. With heterosexual couples, however, there is an increased chance of unexpectedly conceiving a child, thereby increasing the chances of the child being raised by a couple who were not financially, emotionally, or mentally ready to become parents.
The main reason behind why the children of lesbian parents tend to fare better, then, is not that lesbians simply make better parents. Rather, the findings indicate that parents who are financially and emotionally prepared to have a child tend to raise well-adjusted kids. Due to the work involved in having a child for lesbian couples, they are typically better prepared for the responsibilities of raising a child when they become pregnant than heterosexual couples. Still, these findings show that same-sex parents can raise children without all of the psychological implications that critics had originally feared.
References used:
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-07/health/lesbian.children.adjustment_1_psychological-adjustment-advocacy-groups-lesbian-households/2?_s=PM:HEALTH
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-28/living/gayby_1_same-sex-couples-lesbian-parents/2?_s=PM:LIVING
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/06/07/children-lesbian-couples-school-life/
This guest post is contributed by Vanessa Jones, who writes on the topics of dating sites. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: vanessa.jones42@gmail.com.
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