I have not come across any evidence to support this theory. I do believe that a child that matures in a same-sex household will be well adjusted and more likely to be open minded about things in general. I do not think this pertains simply to homosexuality but all practices and beliefs that are not found in today's mainstream culture

none at all as far as I know and I would be skeptical of anyone who claimed there was but could not back their claim up

I don't believe that anything a parent or guardian can do or say or show a child will change his orientation that is built-in from birth. However, any of us are oriented toward the same sex or opposite sex belongs to exclusively to us and nobody can change it. Maybe we can lean toward another direction based on wanting to belong and to fit it. But, ultimately, the child will end up reverting back to his or her true nature. I hope that whatever road the child goes dowm, the parent (gay or straight) will be understanding and loving all the way.

I doubt it. Most of us glbt people were raised by straight parents.

I'm sure you can find differences in opinion, however: According to the recent quantitative analysis on same-sex parenting by Lerner and Nagai, 49 American studies, which advocate homosexual parenting, have fatal flaws, rendering them statistically invalid (non-representative samples, imprecise hypotheses, confused political objectives, etc.). The researchers concluded that the studies repeatedly referred to by American, European and Canadian homosexual lobbies should not be used to influence the politics of their respective governments. This conclusion was also expressed by Professor Stephen L. Nock, Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia, who, in an affidavit submitted by the federal Attorney General in the Ontario Court of Appeal same-sex marriage case, evaluated statistics on same-sex parenting and concluded that the studies were flawed in either design or execution, which rendered them totally invalid. According to a paper published by Professor Bradley P. Hayton, there are serious concerns about the effects of a homosexual lifestyle on children. Professor Hayton states: Homosexuals... model a poor view of marriage to children. They are taught by example and belief that marital relationships are transitory and most sexual in nature. Sexual relationships are primarily for pleasure rather than procreation. And they are taught that monogamy in a marriage is not the norm [and] should be discouraged if one wants a good 'marital' relationship. The reason that same-sex parenting is detrimental to the well being of children is due to several factors: 1. Higher Incidence of Violence There is a higher rate of violence in lesbian and homosexual relationships than in married, heterosexual relationships. A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined conflict and violence in lesbian relationships. The researchers found that 90% of the lesbians surveyed had been recipients of one or more acts of verbal aggression from their intimate partners during the year prior to this study, with 31% reporting one or more incidents of physical abuse. This is verified in a number of other studies. According to the homosexual authors of Men Who Beat The Men Who Love Them, domestic violence affects half of all gay couples. The vast majority of violent crimes against homosexuals are committed by homosexuals, and are not considered hate crimes. According to the leading US gay magazine The Advocate, 75% of its readers admit engaging in violent sex, 20% in sadistic sex and 55% are using painful objects. 2. Higher Incidence of Mental Health Problems There is a higher incidence of mental health problems among homosexuals and lesbians. These include problems of substance abuse, as well as a greater risk for suicide. Homophobia is often blamed for the high suicide rate of young gays but this cause is only one among many, such as prostitution, broken families, sexual assault at a young age, disappointments in love affairs, and premature homosexual labeling. 3. Reduced Life Expectancy Male homosexuals have a significantly reduced life expectancy. A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology on the mortality rates of homosexuals stated as follows: In a major Canadian center, life expectancy at age twenty for gay and bisexual men is eight to twenty years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality were to continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged twenty years will not reach their sixty-fifth birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban center are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871. 4. Higher Incidence of Same-sex Orientation Same-sex parents are inclined to influence their children's sexual orientation. A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, stated as follows: ...there are developmentally important, statistically significant differences between children reared by homosexual parents compared to heterosexual parents. For example, children raised by homosexuals were found to have greater parental encouragement for cross-gender behaviour [and] greater amounts of cross-dressing and cross-gender play/role behaviour. 5. Greater Risk of Sexual Involvement with Parents According to a study published in Adolescence, 29% of the adult children of homosexual parents have been specifically subjected to sexual molestation as a child by a homosexual parent, compared to only 0.6 percent of adult children of heterosexual parents. These findings were confirmed in a study published in the American Sociological Review. 6. Greater Risk of Social or Psychological Problems The vast majority of the American studies widely used by homosexual activists claim that same-sex parenting is as valid as opposite-sex parenting. However, as mentioned previously, these earlier studies have been found to be seriously flawed. According to a study there were noticeable problems with children raised by same-sex parents in regard to discipline expectations, and general parent-child relationships. Other studies have also reported that boys raised by homosexual mothers may have a lower self-image, regarding masculinity. A study of children of lesbians revealed many problems, including a "defensiveness" on the part of the children of lesbian couples she studied, a pattern of denial - especially deep in the youngest child in the lesbian couples, hostility from older boys, especially directed at the mother's lesbian lover, the children expressed concern for the welfare of siblings, the children had concerns about their own sexuality, the children had concerns about the integrity of their family, concerns about their mother's homosexual activities, there was evidence that one of the lesbian mothers expressly encouraged her daughters to make lesbian sexual choices, and that the children were forced to conceal one parent's secret sexual behaviours from the other parent. All these problems have led to the children raised by same-sex parents becoming dysfunctional and disadvantaged. 7. Higher Incidence of Child Molestation Proportionately, homosexual men are more inclined to child molestation than heterosexual men. According to American studies, the evidence indicates that homosexual men molest boys and teenagers at rates completely disproportionate to the rates at which heterosexual men molest girls. A study shows that the homosexual child molester accounts for approximately 7 times more victims than the heterosexual molester. When it comes to child sex abuse, men are almost always the perpetrator. Less than 3% of the population is homosexual, yet one-third of the sex abuse cases are committed again boys. Although pedophilia is condemned by most homosexuals, it remains condoned by many leading gay and lesbian North American activists who lobby for the lowering of the age of consent for sex. Early sex is said to be healthy for boys claims the self-proclaimed homosexual association NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association). Intergenerational sex (an often used euphemism for pederasty) is an undeniable fixture of gay literature, gay films, gay travel and gay prostitution. In the 70's, The Advocate repeatedly ran full page adds for a "penetrable boy doll" and in the 90's, 21% of its readers admitted having been molested before the age of 15. http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/apr/040428c.html

NO

none that I've ever heard. and none of the kids any of my gay/lesbian friends have show any bias. I think that's still another homophobic stereotype. hey, it's the heterosexuals that keep having the gay kids anyway....blame them! LOL!

Hi, i do not believe it makes any difference, you are born the way you are, straight, gay bi or transgendered, who brings you up has nothing to do with the way you are

Same-sex parenting contains no more bias than opposite-sex parenting. Straight parents have gay children all the time. Who is to say gay parents can't have straight children? And what difference does it really make?

Now that we have seen Highlander's blatantly biased report from a Religious Right website, let's take a look at an article from a neutral, unbiased source- WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20051012/study-same-sex-parents-raise-well-adjusted-kids "The vast consensus of all the studies shows that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way," she tells WebMD. "In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures." "Some studies showed that single heterosexual parents' children have more difficulties than children who have parents of the same sex," Perrin says. "They did better in discipline, self-esteem, and had less psychosocial difficulties at home and at school." Another study of 37 children of 27 divorced lesbian mothers and a similar number of children of heterosexual mothers found no differences in behavior, adjustment, gender identity, and peer relationships. Two other large studies involving more than 100 couples found that same-sex parents also had contact with extended family, had social support, and had a more equitable division of labor in the home. "Lesbian couples share household responsibilities and chores more equitably," Perrin says. "And, the children of lesbian couples are less aggressive, more nurturing to peers, more tolerant of diversity, and more inclined to play with both boy's and girl's toys. Children seem to adjust better when there is a more equal division of labor in the home and the parental relationship with the children had a higher rating, she says. The combined data presented by Perrin showed that children whose parents are lesbian have no more problems than the rest of the children and actually may be more tolerant of differences, she says. There was suggestive evidence that there were more stresses due to the gender of same-sex parents, but the children also reported greater well-being, more nurturing, and a greater tolerance for differences. What is striking is that there are very consistent findings in these studies," Perrin says. --- Not only that, you can find similar results at "FutureofChildren.org": http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2827/information_show.htm?doc_id=290849 ... and Tufts University: http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/042304SameSexParenting.htm EVERY SINGLE UNBIASED SCIENTIFIC STUDY all say the same thing.

Nope, I did a research project last semester on how gay marriage should be legal & 1 of my arguments was that there were numerous studies done showing that children brought up by same-sex parents were no different than children brought up by opposite sex parents. There were no differences in sexual orientation or attraction or preferences of anything else. In fact, the only significant difference found was that children brought up by same-sex parents were found to be more tolerant of diversity & more nurturting toward younger children than those with parents who were heterosexual. Ha! In yo faces Republicans!

i wait tables, and we have a lesbian couple that comes in with their son, who looks to be about seven years old. they were joking with him and all of us about all the little girlfriends he has at school. it doesn't seem to me that they are trying to get him to go after little boys. i don't know of any parents who actively try to make their children like a certain gender.

If that argument works, it works both ways. And if that were true, there would be no gay children, as all heterosexuals would exert their influence on their young. Magenta indicated a very good, unbiased study conducted. Other reputable studies have back this up. If you want extra evidence, speak to the children of gay couples. They themselves are excellent examples that families can come in all varieties and be highly effective and loving.

Oh, like the way heterosexual parents have heterosexual children (note the irony)? Don't get me wrong, I think that children need healthy role models of both sexes in order to have healthy friendships/relationships later in life, no matter what, but I sure don't think so...

I don't see how that can be. I'm gay and I was reised by straight parents. I do have 2 kids and they are both sraight. So I don't see how. My being gay is not a lifestyle, it's my life. Therein lies some of the problem. Thinking that gay men and women do soomething that is inordinately different than their straight counterparts. I go to work each day, I eat, The only thing that is different in my life is that the person I love is a man. That's the ONLY difference.

Wow, this is a very interesting question to me, because it is something that I have thought quite a lot about lately. I was raised by two women. My Mother and my Grandmother. They were good parents for the most part, but during my formative years, I was not provided with any understanding about the physiological differences between men and women. In other words, I was caused to believe that everyone was the same underneath their clothing. That everyone was like me, (being female). That created a phenomenon within me that places the female body at the center of [my] feelings of physical arousal. I knew that I liked men at a young age, because I was attracted to them, but I wasn't aware of the sexual, biological differences until I was 15, and by that time my feelings about what physically caused that feeling inside of me were set. I have a separation between emotional sexual intimacy (which is created by men for me), and physical arousal, (which is created by the same "equipment" as my own) To answer the question, from my own experience, same sex parenting does have the potential to bias a child toward a homosexual lifestyle especially if the knowledge about the biological differences in the opposite sex are withheld until after the child's formative years have passed.

I was raised by gay males since i was 13, although not fully adopted by them. At first i was slightly embarassed because they were stereotypical gays, (i mean that nicely!) and they changed my name to Polly Regina Princess Freddy, but after that i realised that they loved and cared for me as much as any parents love their children. I am now in my second marriage to a man 12 years my junior. I have 4 kids from both marriages, and i'm fine with my upbringing.

all "evidence" supplied by the extreme right is biased (i.e., the "evidence" supplied by Highlander). it's based on lies, assumptions and stereotypes. not one bit of that b.s. applies to me or any LGBT I know. if a parent's sexual orientation has any bearing on that of their children, then I would be heterosexual...as we are all raised by straight parents. I have lots of gay/lesbian friends with (biological) children. all happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids. and all their kids are straight.

short and simple ..NO!!!

Well, straight parents have gay children. So I would say NO. Being "homosexual" is something in and of itself and I don't see how having 2 moms or 2 dads is going to make a child gay. That's absurd. Just because 2 straight parents like country music, does that mean their child will? No, it doesn't. To say the same-sex parenting may bias children towards a homosexual lifestyle is like saying both-sex parenting will automatically make that child straight. Craaaaazy :)

no

hasnt been proven, nor in my observations has such a thing happened

I really doubt it. Beliefs that lesbian and gay adults may bias children towards a "homosexual lifestyle" have no empirical foundation

Actually, I once thought that would be the case. But turns out it isn't Gays and Lesbians that choose to have children put the children first. I suppose if every Gay and Lesbian were forced to raise children there would be lifestyle problems for the children.

No, but the sad thing is that if it's known to happen to someone then some ignorant people will read into that way too much and assume it's because of gay parents.

no i dont believe so...not any more than heterosexual parenting may bias children towards a heterosexual lifestyle. its the children decision on which way they would like to live happiest. =)

I don't think so but I am sure that when I child have some role models in its life and thats two dads or two mums , its mind is going to play different games. Imaging think that have only two mums its absolutely normal... ahh you start having a differen way of thinking, but I am not sure.

No whether you grow up with gay parents or straight parents either way you can end up being either straight of LGBT because it's not a choice as many people believe.

i think the real question is if sexual orientation is something we are born with or if it can be influenced by environment. the answer is basically, "we don't know, but likely both", according to American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/topics/sorientation.html here is the direct quote from their website: What causes a person to have a particular sexual orientation? There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.

Yes and No. i think the real question is if sexual orientation is something we are born with or if it can be influenced by environment. the scientific answer is basically, "we are not sure, but likely both", according to American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/topics/sorientation.html here is the direct quote from their website: What causes a person to have a particular sexual orientation? There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.

Im one of the Rare kids.... my father is gay and so am i but i dont think my fathers orientation had anything to do with mine i think i was born this way and yes my father is gay but he only lived the gay lifestlye around me for a year

No. As a matter of fact the two studies Ive read on it both showed no correlation in same-sex parenting and raising homosexual children.

i believe that there isnt. I mean most of out parents were straight and we turned out to be gay right? so how did that happen? our parents dont "make" us anything...i believe children will grow up to be who they are meant to be.

All the gay parents I know has heterosexual kids.

Its probably more likely to result in kids who are openly gay. I think a child raised in a very anti-gay environment is more likely to remain closeted even when/if he/she does recognize same-sex attraction.