As a companion piece to our post, “Top Five Facts About Adoption by Same-Sex Parents,” we decided to offer this post. We’ll debunk common myths about parenting by same-sex couples. We’ll address facts about same-sex parents and the children they raise. Hopefully, we’ll clear up some misconceptions left over from generations of opposition to even the idea of same-sex parents raising children.
Same-Sex Parenting: Top Five Myths
- Myth: Same-sex parents are unfit to be parents. In fact, no evidence suggests same-sex couples are unfit to be parents.
- Myth: Children need a mother and father in the home for optimal psychological development. The truth is that no evidence suggests compromised psychosocial development in children of same-sex couples compared to children of opposite-sex couples.
- Myth: Children of same-sex parents are more likely to be LGBTQI. In reality, no evidence suggests the sexual orientation of parents affects sexual orientation of their children.
- Myth: Children of same-sex parents develop behavioral problems. On the contrary, evidence suggests that children of same-sex parents had fewer social problems, less rule-breaking behaviors, and less aggressive, externalizing behaviors compared to children of opposite-sex couples.
- Myth: Children of same-sex parents get bullied more than children of opposite-sex parents. Actually, no evidence suggests children of same-sex parents get bullied more than children of opposite-sex parents.
Sources:
American Psychological Association Brief “Lesbian and Gay Parenting” 2005
“Same Sex Parenting and Child Development” Journal of Marriage and Family 2010
“Outcomes for children with lesbian or gay parents. A review of studies from 1978 to 2000” Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 2002
“Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian” The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2013
“Overview of Lesbian and Gay Parenting, Adoption, and Foster Care” The American Civil Liberties Union 1999