Children of parents who have same-sex relationships: New study

A new study released June 11 is the first to use a nationally representative, random sample to examine adult children raised by parents in same-sex relationships

June 20, 2012 | by Andrea Mrozek , Manager of Research and Communications
PDF:  Children of parents who have same-sex relationships: New study

Endnotes

  1. Regnerus, M. (2012, June 10). How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Social Science Research, Vol. 41, Issue 4, pp. 752-770.
    Retrieved here.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Largely positive commentaries about the study include:
    Canadian professor Doug Allen in National Review
    William Saletan in Slate
  4. Largely negative commentaries about the study include:
    Box Turtle Bulletin
    John Corvino in The New Republic
  5. The same issue of Social Science Research includes a literature review of the research on same-sex parenting, concluding that “not one of the 59 studies referenced in the 2005 APA Brief compares a large, random, representative sample of lesbian or gay parents and their children with a large, random, representative sample of married parents and their children. The available data, which are drawn primarily from small convenience samples, are insufficient to support a strong generalizable claim either way. Such a statement would not be grounded in science. To make a generalizable claim, representative, large-sample studies are needed—many of them.”
    From Marks, L. (2012, June 10). Same-sex parenting and children’s outcomes: A closer examination of the American Psychological Association’s brief on lesbian and gay parenting. Social Science Research, Vol. 41, Issue 4, pp. 735-751. Retrieved here.
  6. Regnerus, M. (2012, June 11). Queers as folk: Does it really make no difference if your parents are straight or gay? Slate. Retrieved here.
  7. That only two adult children reported that they lived with their mothers for their whole childhood can be found here: Regnerus, M. (2012, June 10). Q&A with Mark Regnerus about the background of his new study. Patheos. Retrieved here.
  8. Regnerus, M. (2012, June 10). How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships?
  9. For just one example, see Balkissoon, D. (2011, November 4). The seven habits of highly effective lesbian families. The Globe and Mail.
    The author writes: “A series of studies in Canada and elsewhere over the past decade has found that the children of lesbians aren't just well-adjusted – they excel. On average, kids with two moms seem to be more confident and less aggressive than those raised by a mom and a dad. They are open-minded, affectionate and less susceptible to anxiety and depression.”
  10. Marks, L. (2012, June 10). Same-sex parenting and children’s outcomes: A closer examination of the American Psychological Association’s brief on lesbian and gay parenting. See also footnote 4.
  11. Gallagher, M. (2012, June 12). The best or the worst of all possible gay-parenting studies? National Review Online. Retrieved here.
  12. Samuel, A. (2012, June 14). The kids aren’t all right: New family structures and the “no differences” claim. Public Discourse, The Witherspoon Institute. Retrieved here.
  13. McLanahan, S. and Sandefur, G. (1994). Growing up with a single parent: What hinders, what helps. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, p. 38.