Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It is evident that it is impossible to identify a typical gay or lesbian
family - they fit no one simple model and not only are they diverse but
the members of each may not be fixed. Some relationships are, though,
similar to those traditionally associated with heterosexual persons
.
There
may be change in the nature of the gay or lesbian family as legal recog-
nition of partnerships becomes more widespread, though lingering societal
dis approval will itself continue to influence relationships in negative ways.
Children in Same-Sex Families
In addition to gay and lesbian families comprising single individuals or
same-sex couples, there may be families that include children. There is a
considerable diversity within such families, including single or two (or more)
parents and children biologically related to at least one parent and children
who are adopted or fostered. Parents may be gay or lesbian or either, but
with a heterosexual partner; a gay man may father a lesbian woman's child
and the child may live and be parented by either or both or with other gay or
lesbian individuals. Insemination and surrogacy may be significant for some
couples, though many children raised by a lesbian parent, in particular, will
be the biological child from a previous heterosexual relationship. One US
author refers to a 'gayby' boom - an increased visibility of children raised by
same-sex parents (Garner, 2005).
Although there is support for gay and lesbian marriage or civil partner-
ships, gay or lesbian families with children are not accepted as readily. A UK
poll in 2009 showed only under half agreed that gay or lesbian couples should
have equal adoption rights to heterosexual couples (Populus, 2009). Only
36% and 31%, in another survey, agreed that lesbian or gay male couples
(respectively) were as good parents as men and women couples (Duncan &
Phillips, 2008). The argument is often couched in terms of a child's 'need'
for two parents of different genders and anything other than this is not
'natural'. Some US states do not allow adoption by same-sex couples and
there are many challenges to the desire of lesbian couples to access medical
services for insemination. US courts have been reluctant to grant custody of
children to gay or lesbian parents in divorce cases (Biblarz & Savci, 2010a;
Patterson, 2006). UK legislation in 2007 meant that adoption and fostering
agencies could not turn down gay or lesbian couples on the basis of their
sexuality alone. A Roman Catholic agency (unsuccessfully) resisted this and
commented that 'what is best for children is that they be brought up by
married couples' (Caldwell, 2009).
Arguments have been articulated in terms of 'damage' caused to a
child by having same-sex parents. Claims of damage include children ex-
periencing stress, ridicule and harassment and, as they lack role models for
each sex, they would be at least confused about
relationships, if not more
