1

Linh Boi Tu

ENGL-1323-2.02: English Comp II

November 27, 2023

Research Proposal

Family has a considerable influence on a child's full human development. When children

are in a fitting environment, they have all the right conditions to grow and develop positively. In

contrast, it can hurt their well-being in an unsuitable family where parents do not provide proper

care and education. Indeed, parents, including same-sex parents, are role models for their

children as they nurture and educate them from birth to adulthood. Same-sex parenting refers to

the parenting of children by couples of the same sex, typically gay or lesbian couples. My

research supports that children raised by same-sex parents exhibit similar outcomes to those

raised by opposite-sex parents in academic, social, and psychological aspects. It emphasizes the

importance of protecting the rights and needs of gender and sexual orientation minority groups,

especially regarding child-rearing. Same-sex parenting has no detrimental effects on the well-

being of their children, despite concerns that children cannot develop normally and

comprehensively without either a father or mother. Some may assert that gay and lesbian couples

fail to fulfill the essential and unique roles that both parents play in the children's development.

For example, Fitzgibbons (2015) suggested that the absence of a biological father or mother in

same-sex parent households creates obstacles in the normal development of children, which also

means placing them in a conducive environment. I will use the scholarly article by Farr and

Vázquez to refute this misconception in my paragraph about the parenting capacity of same-sex

parents. Farr and Vázquez (2020) study the mental health, parenting competence, and parent-

child relationship quality of adoptive families with gay, lesbian, and heterosexual parents,
2

concluding that the outcomes between each type of parent are equivalent and not affected by

sexual orientation and gender identity. Others may wonder whether the academic abilities of

children in families with homosexual parents will keep up with their peers in ideal families with

opposite-gender parents. In particular, Potter (2012) implies that children in traditional families,

where two biological parents are married, tend to do better academically than their peers in

nontraditional families. In another paragraph, I would introduce Mazrekaj et al. longitudinal

study on school outcomes to counter this argument. Mazrekaj et al. (2020) use mixed methods to

ensure the robustness of their results and find that children raised by same-sex parents performed

better in both primary and secondary education compared to their counterparts with different-sex

parents. In terms of social development, a series of studies defend lesbian and gay families by

consistently providing empirical evidence that challenges the belief that same-sex parenting does

harm to children. Regnerus (2012) identifies diverse factors that might cause particular problems

for the social development of children in lesbian and gay families, yet points out that parental

sexual orientation is not an issue. Additionally, I would incorporate Mazrekaj et al.'s research to

strengthen my paragraph about the argument on the general social development of children

grown by queer couples. Mazrekaj et al. (2022) explore the challenges faced by same-sex parents

and their impacts on mental and physical health, and the authors deny any discrepancies in

behavioral outcomes between children of same-sex and straight parents. Some may argue that

children in such families are more likely to face stigma and discrimination or experience identity

confusion, and this will weaken their mental and emotional well-being. Accordingly, Crouch et

al. (2012) contradict my research by indicating that stigma about parental sexual orientation

negatively affects the mental and emotional well-being of their children. To address this rebuttal

and reinforce the normal psychological development of children with same-sex parents, I will
3

draw on an academic article by Calzo et al. in a new paragraph. This article states that children

whose parents are lesbians and gays, as well as children whose parents are heterosexual, have the

same level of emotional and mental health difficulties, which show relatively no disadvantageous

outcomes due to parental sexual orientation (Calzo et al., 2019). I will go on to disprove any

inaccurate claims on the potential impact of same-sex parenting on children's identity

development by utilizing Wainright et al.'s study. This study examines participants from both

same-sex and opposite-sex parented families, matched on demographic characteristics,

determining that family type is not associated with romantic attractions and sexual behaviors of

adolescents (Wainright et al., 2004). Both groups of children receive similar results in various

areas, such as social development, emotional development, physical health, and academic

performance. Unfounded prejudices that same-sex parenting will make children's overall well-

being worse or put the child at risk of being bullied reflect the dangerous victim-blaming

mindset. They put the responsibility directly on same-sex parents and turn them into the source

of discrimination. Overall, there is no significant difference between the children of homosexual

and heterosexual couples, and raising children has nothing to do with whether the parent is

straight or gay. Therefore, building a safe, stable, and suitable environment for all families to

enhance the child-rearing experience positively becomes more important than ever.
4

Works Cited

Calzo, J. P., Mays, V. M., Björkenstam, C., Björkenstam, E., Kosidou, K., & Cochran, S. D.

(2019). Parental Sexual Orientation and Children's Psychological Well-Being: 2013-2015

National Health Interview Survey. Child Development, 90(4), pp. 1097–1108.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12989

Crouch, S. R., Waters, E., McNair, R., Power, J., & Davis, E. (2014). Parent-reported measures

of child health and wellbeing in same-sex parent families: a cross-sectional survey. BMC

Public Health, 14, 635. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-635

Farr, R. H., & Vázquez, C. P. (2020). Stigma Experiences, Mental Health, Perceived Parenting

Competence, and Parent-Child Relationships Among Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual

Adoptive Parents in the United States. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 445.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00445

Fitzgibbons R. P. (2015). Growing up with gay parents: What is the big deal?. The Linacre

quarterly, 82(4), pp. 332–336. https://doi.org/10.1179/0024363915Z.000000000120

Mazrekaj, D., De Witte, K., & Cabus, S. (2020). School outcomes of children raised by same-sex

parents: evidence from administrative panel data. American Sociological Review, 85(5),

pp. 830–856. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122420957249

Mazrekaj, D., Fischer, M. M., & Bos, H. M. W. (2022). Behavioral Outcomes of Children with

Same-sex Parents in The Netherlands. International Journal of Environmental Research

and Public Health, 19(10), 5922. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19105922

Potter, D. (2012), Same-Sex Parent Families and Children's Academic Achievement. Journal of

Marriage and Family, 74, pp. 556-571. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-

3737.2012.00966.x
5

Regnerus, M. (2012). How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex

relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Social science research,

41(4), pp. 752–770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.03.009

Wainright, J. L., Russell, S. T., & Patterson, C. J. (2004). Psychosocial Adjustment, School

Outcomes, and Romantic Relationships of Adolescents With Same-Sex Parents. Child

Development, 75(6), pp. 1886–1898. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00823.x