Same gender families

What does the scholarly research say about the well-being of children with gay or lesbian parents?

Overview: We identified 79 scholarly studies that met our criteria for adding to knowledge about the well-being of children with gay or lesbian parents. Of those studies, 75 concluded that children of gay or lesbian parents fare no worse than other children. While many of the sample sizes were little, and some studies lacked a control group, researchers regard such studies as providing the best present knowledge about child adjustment, and do not view large, representative samples as essential. We identified four studies concluding that children of gay or lesbian parents face added disadvantages. Since all four took their samples from children who endured family break-ups, a cohort known to face added risks, these studies have been criticized by many scholars as unreliable assessments of the well-being of LGB-headed households. Taken together, this study forms an overwhelming scholarly consensus, based on over three decades of peer-reviewed research, that having a gay o

Sexual minority families fare as well as, and in some ways better than, ‘traditional’ ones

Parents’ sexual orientation not important determinant of children’s development

Sexual minority families—where parental sexual orientation or gender identity is considered outside cultural, societal, or physiological norms—fare as adequately as, or better than, ‘traditional’ families with parents of the opposite sex, finds a pooled data analysis of the obtainable evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Parental sexual orientation isn’t an important determinant of children’s development, the analysis shows.

The number of children in families with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer parents has risen in recent years. But despite a shift in public attitudes, sexual minority parenting still provokes controversy, and whether parental sexual orientation affects family outcomes continues to be a matter of debate, utter the researchers.

To strengthen the evidence, and find out if there were differences in outcomes between sexual minority and different sex (straig

More than million LGBTQ adults are parenting children under the age of 18

A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that 18% of LGBTQ people, roughly million adults, are parenting children under the age of 18 in their households. The study also finds that about 14% of same-sex couples (, couples) and almost one in five married same-sex couples (18% or , couples) are parenting minors in their homes.

Among parents, same-sex couples adopt (21%), foster (4%), and have stepchildren (17%) at significantly higher rates than different-sex couples (3%, %, 6%). Approximately 35, same-sex couples parenting minors have adopted, and 6, are fostering children. Notably, 24% of married same-sex couples have adopted a child compared to 3% of married different-sex couples.

This report uses multiple data sources to provide parenting rates and sociodemographic characteristics of LGBTQ parents in the United States. The current report focuses specifically on LGBTQ people who are parents of children under the age of 18 living in their homes.

Results show that approximately 5

LGBTQ Parenting in the US

Family Formation and Stressors

  • Overall, 47% of partnered LGBTQ parents are in a same-gender or transgender-inclusive partnership; however, the majority of cisgender lesbian/gay parents are vs. 10% of cisgender bisexual/queer parents.
  • 78% of LGBTQ parents became parents through current or previous sexual relationships, 20% through stepparenthood, and 6% through adoption.
  • Among parenting households, same-sex couples adopt (21%), foster (4%), and have stepchildren (17%) at significantly higher rates than different-sex couples (3%, %, 6%).
    • Notably among parents, 24% of married same-sex couples have adopted a child versus 3% of married different-sex couples.
  • Approximately 35, same-sex couple parents hold adopted children, and 6, are fostering children. The majority of these couples are married.
  • Among all LGBTQ parents, approximately 57, are fostering children (%). Less than half of these parents are married.
  • Approximately 30% of LGBQ parents are not legally recognized or are unsure about their legal status as the parent/guardian of at least one chi