Parenting

Kirkpatrick, M. (1987). Clinical implications of
lesbian mother studies. Journal of Homosexuality,
13, 201-211.
Studies have shown similarities between lesbian
mothers and divorced heterosexual mothers in marital
history, pregnancy history, child-rearing attitudes,
and life-style. Motherhood was the most salient factor
in both groups' identity. Lesbian mothers had
more congenial relations with ex-spouses and
included men more regularly in their children's lives.
Coupled lesbians had greater economic and emotional
resources and provided children with a richer
family life than did mothers of either group living
alone with children. Children benefited from group
discussions about changes in their lives and in their
mothers' sexual orientation. Case illustrations are
presented. (PsycINFO Database Record. Copyright
© 2002 by the American Psychological Association.
All rights reserved.)
Kleber, D. J., Howell, R. J., & Tibbits-Kleber, A. L.
(1986). The impact of parental homosexuality in
child custody cases: A review of the literature.
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry
and Law, 14, 81-87.
Reviews the literature on the impact of parental
homosexuality in child custody cases. As a result of
the relatively high rate of divorce in the United
States and the increasing awareness that many parents
(an estimated 1.5 million) are homosexual, the
courts and divorce mediators have become actively
involved in child custody placement decisions
involving homosexual parents. While custody decisions
have tended to reflect stereotyped beliefs or
fears concerning the detrimental effects of homosexual
parenting practices on child development, the
research literature provides no evidence substantiating
these fears. Several specific custody issues are
discussed as well as social factors relevant to lesbian
motherhood. (PsycINFO Database Record.
Copyright © 2002 by the American Psychological
Association. All rights reserved.)
Parks, C. A. (1998). Lesbian parenthood: A review
of the literature. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 68, 376-389.
Reviews the findings of lesbian family research
published between 1980 and 1996. The research
describes characteristics of lesbian families and
challenges faced by these families in the context of
heterosexist and homophobic societal attitudes.
The research reveals lesbian parents and their children
to be healthy, secure, and quite effective in
negotiating the many challenges that accompany
their stigmatized and minority status. Lesbian
couples are confronted by an environment that disavows
their unions, challenges their right and fitness
to parent, and denies them basic civil and legal
protections to individual and family security. Yet,
they have succeeded in creating nurturing, egalitarian
families in which they are bearing and raising
well-functioning, well-adjusted, and socially tolerant
children. (PsycINFO Database Record.
Copyright © 2002 by the American Psychological
Association. All rights reserved.)
Patterson, C. J. (1992). Children of lesbian and
gay parents. Child Development, 63, 1025 -1042.
Reviews research on the personal and social development
of children of gay or lesbian parents
(CGLP). Beginning with estimates of the numbers
of such children, sociocultural, theoretical, and
legal reasons for attention to their development are
then outlined. In this context, studies on sexual
identity, personal development, and social relationships
among these children are reviewed. Evidence
does not show that the development of CGLP is
compromised significantly relative to that among
children of heterosexual parents in comparable situations.
(PsycINFO Database Record. Copyright
© 2002 by the American Psychological Association.
All rights reserved.)
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