dude, you linked the 'gay and lesbian' writer from South Beach? even some of the quotes from that piece are pretty telling. <b>She didn't look like other moms. . . . She was a construction worker and didn't wear makeup.'</B> <b>Despite being embarrassed and teased about her mother at times,</b> Fakhrid-Deen, 35, grew up well-rounded, well-educated and straight <b>Morrison said he hid the fact that his father was gay.</b> <b>''She started to cry . . . and it came out that my father was gay, which spread through the school like wildfire,'' Morrison said. Like Morrison, Fakhrid-Deen learned to never disclose. Still, she was taunted. 'My mom would be wearing her construction hat and shoes and be all dirty because she was coming from work . . . and kids would say: `Is that your Dad? Is she a dyke?' . . . It was embarrassing.''</b> yea...that doesn't effect kids at all......
They raise issues about the methodology because the field is so young, but there were scientific studies done and the article linked was based on those studies. What exactly are you confused about?
I rather suspect that I will embarrass my sons at some point (in fact, I see that as part of my job as Dad), but that won't stop them from being well adjusted, happy people any more than it affects someone who grows up with gay and/or lesbian parents.
QFT – In fact most normal teenagers HATE their parents during some phase of adolescence. But I guess those are the ones who grow up to be serial killers
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." http://www.contemporaryfamilies.org/subtemplate.php?t=inTheNews&ext=news124
you're dilusional. Being ridiculed by your peers because your parents are gay is a totally different animal.
I was ridiculed by my peers for all manner of things. I was in AP classes, I wore braces, I was in the band, I was on the debate team, and I always had my nose buried in a book. Hell, I was even ridiculed for my name ("Andy-Panda" was the most common, stupid, but many kids are exceptionally dumb in their taunts). How is being ridiculed for gay parents that much different from any other kind of ridicule?
why is a given that a kids peers will ridicule them? one could argue that if their parents taught them that there's nothing wrong with being gay, the kids would just grow up thinking it's nothing exceptional.
dude.....Andy-Panda, being in band and having braces does not = gay parents. kids do not think and rationalize social issues like adults, such as you are doing right now.
Specifically? Well, we would have taunted you with Mandy Pandy, instead of Andy Panda. Or maybe you were being rhetorical.
and btw Basso.....for every parent out there teaching their kids that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality, there are 3 other parents telling THIER kids that homomsexuality IS wrong.
Exactly but you can say the same the same basic thing about any group. I cannot count how many times I was referred to as a half-breed, oreo, zebra, etc. growing up. Of course, kids would make fun of others for cheap clothes, different color hair, skin, and/or eyes, weight, location of residence, grades, accomplishments, what they ate, how they smelled, their age and I could keep going on and on.
you keep saying things like this, but more and more states are legalizing same-sex marriage; looks like you are failing to accomplish your goal.
