A new study has verified that the sexual orientation of parents is not a determining factor in the development of children, according to what researchers publish in the open access journal ‘BMJ Global Health’.
The analysis shows that the sexual minority familiesin which the sexual orientation or gender identity of the parents is considered outside of cultural, social or physiological norms, work as well or better than “traditional” families with parents of the opposite sex, based on a pooled analysis of the available data.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual fathers and mothers…
The number of children in families with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer parents has increased in recent years. However, despite the change in attitude of public opinion, parenting by sexual minorities continues to spark controversy and whether parental sexual orientation affects family outcomes remains under debate, the researchers say.
To strengthen the evidence and find out if there were differences in outcomes between sexual minority families and those with opposite-sex (heterosexual) parents, they systematically reviewed 34 relevant studies published between January 1989 and April 2022, and conducted in countries where Same-sex relationships were legally recognized.
11 main themes
The studies were categorized into 11 main themes: children’s psychological adjustmentbehavior, physical health, gender roles, gender identity/sexual orientation, and educational attainment; parental mental health and parenting stress; and parent-child relationships, relationship satisfaction, family functioning, and social support.
A pooled analysis of the results of 16 of the 34 studies showed that most family outcomes were similar between these two family types. And in some areas, such as the psychological adjustment of children – preschoolers, in particular – and parent-child relationships, they were better in families of sexual minorities.
“Growing up with sexual minority parents can confer some advantages on children. They have been described as more tolerant of diversity and more affectionate with young children than children of heterosexual parents,” the researchers explain.
But the analysis indicated that sexual minority parents did not outperform mixed-sex families in relationship satisfaction, mental health, parental stress, or family functioning.
Risk factor’s
Risk factors for poor family outcomes for sexual minority families included experiencing stigma and discrimination, inadequate social support, and living with parents rather than being married.
“Legal marriage confers a number of protections and benefits to married couples and their children,” the researchers note.
The results of the narrative synthesis (18 studies), showed that children living in families of sexual minority parents were less likely to expect to identify as heterosexual when they grew up than children living in families of ‘traditional’ configuration.
Less gender stereotypes
“It is possible that there are fewer gender stereotypes in minority-parent families, and this effect may be positive,” the researchers suggest. “Exploring gender identity and sexuality may actually enhance the ability to of children to succeed and thrive in a range of contexts.
They acknowledge several limitations to their conclusions, including that the included studies were limited to regions where same-sex relationships were legalized, and in which the social climate for these families is generally favourable.
In addition, most of the study participants came from gay and lesbian homes, so it was not possible to take into account potentially influential demographic factors. But the researchers conclude that the children from sexual minority families they are not at a disadvantage compared to children from families with different-sex parents.
“One contribution of this review is the recognition that parental sexual orientation is not, in itself, an important determinant of children’s development,” they write. “Another is that there are significant risk factors often associated with the experience of sexual minorities and family functioning, such as stigma, low social support and parenting styles”.
And they add that “policy makers, professionals and the public must work together to improve family outcomes, regardless of sexual orientation.”