Child Outcomes/Experiences Archives - Page 3 of 8

Nanette Gartrell, M.D. Photo Credit: Randal Dieringer.

Young Adults with Lesbian Parents More Likely to Report Same-Sex Attraction, Identity, & Experience (but Not Because their Parents “Made” Them That Way)

March 21, 2019

Young adults with lesbian parents were more likely than their peers to report a same-sex attraction, identity, or experiences, according to the latest results from the longest-running study on LGBTQ-parent families. But while this might trigger panic among those who have fought for years to convince the world that queer parents don’t “make” our kids queer, too, we should all just calm down. Here’s the deal–and why these findings should be celebrated.

Children of Same-Sex Couples Do Better in School Than Peers? Let’s Be Careful Here

February 7, 2019

“Children raised by same-sex couples do better in school, new study finds,” said yesterday’s headline in the Washington Post. Much as I would like to believe in our kids’ general awesomeness, though, there’s more going on here than first meets the eye. Let’s take a closer look.

Parents Play Key Role in “Conversion Therapy” Efforts — and Harm — for LGBT Youth

November 9, 2018

A new study has shown the key, damaging, role parents play in “conversion therapy” efforts to change their LGBT children’s sexual orientation, and how this exacerbatesÂ health and adjustment problems for their children even into young adulthood.

Creator of Longest-Running Study on LGBTQ Families Talks About New Findings

July 31, 2018

Thirty-two years ago, Nanette Gartrell, M.D., launched a project to follow the first wave of lesbian families created through donor insemination. Now, her National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS) is the longest-running study on LGBTQ-parent families, and Gartrell and her team have just released a paper about the now-grown children at 25 years old. Gartrell, a psychiatrist and Visiting Distinguished Scholar at the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, spoke with me about the latest results and more.

Longest-Running Study of LGBTQ Families Releases Findings on Young Adults with Lesbian Parents

July 18, 2018

Young adults with lesbian parents are just as mentally healthy as their peers–and while that may feel like another “We could have told you that” headline, the data is coming from the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), the longest-running study on LGBTQ-parent families, so it’s worth paying attention.

Love and Science: How Science Has Helped LGBTQ Families

April 22, 2017

Today, the March for Science in Washington, D.C. and hundreds of other global locations will encourage science that “upholds the common good” and allows evidence-based policymaking in the public interest. I thus thought this was a good time to look at how science has specifically helped LGBTQ parents and our children.

What Does Social Science Say About Kids of Lesbian and Gay Parents?

December 7, 2016

A new policy brief gives us a great summary of the state of social science research about lesbian and gay parents and our children.

Child Health Outcomes the Same with Two Moms or Mom and Dad: New Study

April 12, 2016

A new study on the health of children with two moms is the first to use a nationally representative survey to compare only children whose parents have been in a continuous relationship. It concludes they’re doing just fine, thank you.

What Role Does Family Acceptance Play in LGBTQ Youth Wellbeing?

January 13, 2016

Sometimes as parents we do what we think is right for our kids only to find out that it’s not. That’s why a new compilation of research about the link between family acceptance and LGBTQ youth wellbeing is so important, especially for youth with anti-LGBTQ parents.

Regnerus Discredited Again: Tough Transitions, Not Gay or Lesbian Parents, Are the Problem

September 17, 2015

Sociologist Mark Regnerus’ study of gay and lesbian parents has been thoroughly discredited, but here’s a nice new piece of empirical evidence against it.