The intention to write this paper is to throw light on the effects of homosexual parents on their children. Parents are known as the first teaching school for children, and if children are ignored in this school, then they can never be able to lift up their entire lives. Homosexuality can be termed as the attraction of an individual towards another individual who belongs to the same gender. While this is often regarded as a non-natural process, people do follow this procedure and have been known to practice it at will. The effects of a gay father and lesbian mother leave a deep impact on the physical health as well as mental health of the children. Homosexual parenting is a relatively new concept and it has taken the entire world by storm. One of the main reasons why the concept of homosexual parenting is not acceptable by the justifiable norms of the traditional society is because it has a terrible impact on the psychology of the child. Numerous studies have shown that children who have been reared by homosexual parents tend to develop emotional, physical as well as psychological problems and these deformities stay with them for the rest of their lives. In this paper, we would throw some light on the concept of homosexual parenting and we would also be discussing whether it is acceptable or not. In the end, we would also discuss the case against the provision of licensing the adoption process by an individual who is indulging in homosexual behavior and the reason why a particular state lost the appeal while another won the case Hence, all the abnormalities associated with the homosexual parents and their impact on children has been discussed in this paper in details. Detailed literature has been given at the end so that we can easily evaluate that what the literature says about the selected topic.
Introduction
The question of raising children has always been a serious one. But the big question arises when two individuals of the same gender are given the responsibility of rearing the children. When compared to a child raised by a mother and a father, the adjustment of children is very different. Until recently, it was understood that children that were reared by parents of the same gender were subjected to serious adjustments but lately, social policymakers, academicians, and professional health organizations have started to assert the fact that the ban on homosexual parentage should be lifted and that parents who are homosexual be allowed to raise children. But in order to lift the ban, the government would need to rely upon supporting evidence that that is comprehensive and conclusive in nature. This is a generation-changing transformation that needs to be handled with utmost care. Nonetheless, expert analysis has shown that children who have been reared by parents of the same gender have been known to suffer from various personality disorders (Dailey, 2002). Researches on children have shown that those who are reared by homosexual parents run the risk of suffering emotionally, mentally, and even physically. On the other hand, children that have been reared by normal parents never really run the risk of an emotional or a mental breakdown. Thirty-year-old research claims that children who are brought up by parents, who are into a low conflict marriage, tend to fair the best in terms of emotional as well as economic stability.
Statement of Problem
The biggest problem that we all face today is the problem of rearing children. It has been studies that children who have been brought up by parents of a different gender are susceptible to lesser emotional damage than those who have been brought up by parents of the same gender. It has also been studied that children navigate the problem of development stages much more easily if their parents belong to the opposite gender. Likewise, they also tend to be more firm in their gender identity, much more focused on their academic performance, possess fewer emotional disorders, and tend to become better functional adults who can look after their families in a much better way (Michael, 1997). Single parents, as a result of a broken marriage, can never really rear their children in a proper manner. Single parents are also known to face greater financial constraints as well as time constraints. The problem that we would be discussing here would be the difficulties faced by children that have been brought up by homosexual parents. Interestingly, the main problem that they face is emotional and not physical or economic. One of the main reasons why this happens is because there is a vast difference between a male and a female and both can easily be differentiated by their hormones and genes. For a child to develop both physically as well as mentally, the need for both genders is vitally important. When this need is denied, the child is in deep trouble.
Behavioral Challenges…Homosexual, Single, And Heterosexual
There have been a number of studies that state that children reared in homosexual, as well as lesbian households, have the same problems that are being faced by children reared in normal households but most of these studies fail to meet or follow the acceptable standards for psychological research. Political agendas and methodological flaws are the main reason why such studies fail to draw the correct picture. Lack of random sampling, small sample size, non-anonymity of research participants, and bias in self-presentation create flaws in the final analysis.
According to Beaucar 2001, homosexual parenting has critical design flaws. Children who have been nurtured by homosexual parents run the risk of developing mental defects. They also suffer from anxiety disorders, substance dependence, mild depression and they also have a tendency to commit suicide. Single parents have less money as well as time for their children and hence the children tend to spend less time with their biological parents. Likewise, the lack of bonding and financial independence gives rise to a lot of difficulties and the child is always at loss with his/her own life. Girls without fathers perform poorly at school and they become pregnant faster than normal girls. Boys without fathers tend to develop an aggressive nature. They are also likely to become delinquent and they are also said to suffer from rage (Bell & Weinberg, 1978). Normal parents are often the most effective parents of all. The child who is reared in the house of a normal parent is always energetic and it has also been noticed that girls perform better than boys in school and they also tend to perform better in every field like sports etc.
Assumptions to Homosexual Parenting
It has been noticed that children who have been brought up by homosexual parents are more venerable to mental as well as physical trauma as compared to children who have been staying with normal parents. But a few studies have clearly stated that regardless of whether the child has a single parent or parents of the same gender or parents of the opposite gender if the parents are loving and caring, the child is also going to respond in a
similar fashion. Love and affection have a major role to play in developing and rearing a child and it also has a direct effect on the mental development of the young individual.
One of the main assumptions is that homosexuality is not a natural phenomenon and hence it should not be allowed to exist in the natural world. Likewise, it is not at all natural to raise homosexual children. If we consider being homosexual to be normal then why did God not allow them to have children? This is a basic assumption that is relevant to gay parenting. According to this assumption, gay parenting is not permitted because it is not natural as per the rules and regulations laid down by God. But this assumption also condemns heterosexual couples who have not been able to bear children. In the end, it would be correct to state that homosexual parenting is not a natural process and that it should not be recommended and followed on a regular basis.
Significance of the Study
As per a recent study conducted by the professors at the University of Southern California, children who have been raised by parents of the same gender tend to exhibit various differences as compared to children reared by heterosexual parents (Sandfort, Graaf & Bijl, 2001). As per a recent study, the total number of gay parents in the United States is approximately 7 million whereas the total numbers of children who are dependent on gay parents are approximately 9 million. As per the old studies, there is no significant difference in the mental, psychological as well as physical behavior of the concerned individuals but the fact remains that homosexual parentage plays a major role in deciding the behavioral pattern of the affected children. In a study conducted in the year 1996, the majority of the children who were raised by either lesbian or homosexual parents identified themselves as heterosexuals once they reached maturity. This clearly shows that the children were not in favor of the existing relationships amongst their parents. As per the findings of Golombok et al., 1983, “a majority of children who were raised by homosexual parents denied that they have an inclination to become gay. Girls who were raised by lesbian mothers were more prone to becoming sexually active when compared to girls raised by heterosexual parents.” A few researchers are of the opinion that the studies were flawed and that they had been molded to suit the needs of the political parties. Hence, it would not be incorrect to state that the previous studies had very little fact and paid more attention to fictitious work.
Limitations/Delimitations of Study
There have been numerous studies conducted on children who are being looked after by parents of the same sex and most claim that such children do not have any kind of difficulty whatsoever in developing their emotional, mental and physical capacities but such studies have their own limitations. It has been seen that in most studies, the number of participants is limited and the basic parameters that need to be ideally followed for the psychological assumption are also not completely followed. Hence, the overall results are not at par with what they ought to be and this, in turn, leads to a report which is biased and flawed. At the same time, not all the participating children are willing to reveal the truth and they often hide the main facts while revealing a few facts that are not so relevant. Hence, it has been noticed that the past studies have had a mixed resultant in the form of facts and figures. Recent studies have shown that children of homosexual parents are prone to mental as well as physical difficulties. This fact was hidden in the previous studies and often facts were twisted to suit the needs of the political parties. Nonetheless, the studies do reveal the fact that children do suffer from mental as well as physical ailments if they are cared for by parents of the same gender.
Definitions of Terms
Homosexual parenting is the same as gay parenting and it can also be termed as same-sex parenting, lesbian parenting, homosexual parents, or parents of gay children. Homosexuality can be termed as the attraction of an individual towards another individual who belongs to the same gender (Tasker, & Golombok, 1996). While this is often regarded as a non-natural process, people do follow this procedure and have been known to practice it at will. When both parents of a child are of the same sex then they can be termed as homosexual parents and such relationships are harmful to the mental, psychological as well as spiritual development of the concerned child. It is the duty of the homosexual parent to look after the physical, mental as well as moral rights of the child and he also has the legal right over the concerned individual. Right from educating the child to providing for his/her comforts, the gay parent has the responsibility of developing the overall development of the child. Besides, there is no factual information that states that children who are cared for by gay parents have the same tendencies as their parents. Hence, it is not at all necessary that they too would be gays. Leading researchers have also stated that it is the quality of parenting that helps in the overall development of the child and not the gender of the parents (Dailey, 2002).
Review of Literature
In the state of Arkansas, there is a law that prohibits the issue of a license allowing married couples belonging to the same sex to adopt a child and then rare it as his/their own (Sotirios, 1996). According to Ghazala and Javaid, 1993), if any adult is involved in homosexual behavior within the premises of the household then also the state law does not permit the parents to adopt a child from a foster care home. Kathy Hall, the attorney who was assigned the talk of defending this regulation, collected facts and placed them before the judge. These facts clearly stated that the homes which had a higher frequency of homosexual behavior had a higher frequency of domestic violence, the transmission of sexual diseases through homosexual behavior, and pedophilia. The attorney then hired Dr. Rekers to collect fats to back her mission but lost the case when she failed to present even 20% of the evidence that Dr. Rekers collected through sheer hard work. On the other hand, the state of Florida made use of the evidence collected by Dr. Rekers and won the case which prohibited homosexual couples from adopting children. Interestingly, the case against allowing homosexual couples from adopting children was acceptable; the only reason why the state of Arkansas lost the appeal was owing to gross negligence on the part of the attorney. On the other hand, the state of Florida used the same evidence which the state of Arkansas stowed away in some secret locker to win the case. Here, it is interesting to note that in both scenarios, the final verdict lay in the hands of the evidence collected by Dr. Rekers (David & Andrew, 1984).
References
Bell, P., & Weinberg, M. (1978). Homosexualities: a study of diversity among men and women.New York: Simon and Schuster
Beaucar, K.(2001).Homosexual parenting studies are flawed. Web.
Dailey, T.(2002). Homosexual parenting: Placing children at risk. Web.
David , M.,& Andrew M. (1984). The male couple: how relationships develop. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Ghazala A., & Javaid, D. (1993).The children of homosexual and heterosexual single mothers. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 23 (2):, 245-253. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Golombok et al.(1983). Children in lesbian and single-parent households: Psychosexual and psychiatric appraisal. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24 (6), 569-572. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Michael, W. (1997). Extramarital sex: Prevalence and correlates in a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 34 (11), 170-182. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Sotirios, S. (1996).Children in three contexts: family, education, and social development. Children Australia, 21(2), 23-31. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Sandfort,T., Graaf, R., & Bijl, R. (2001).Same-sex sexual behavior and psychiatric disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(4), 85-91. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Tasker, F. & Golombok, S. (1996).Do parents influence the sexual orientation of their children? Developmental Psychology, 32 (3), 7-10. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.