An analysis of 25 years worth of studies on children of homosexual parents has shown virtually no differences vis-? -vis children of heterosexual parents, Dr. Ellen Perrin said at a well-attended panel yesterday.
Perrin, who is a professor of pediatrics for the Tufts-New England Medical Center, discussed nine studies on the children of gay parents, published between 1981 and 1994 in the library of Eliot-Pearson School of Child Development.
"Each individual study is very small and probably can't be relied on, but when you put them together they tell a monotonous, repeated story," Perrin said. "The findings are incredibly similar."
Among the studies' findings were that there were no differences between children of homosexual parents and children of heterosexual parents in academic achievement, self-esteem, relationships with peers or gender-typical behavior.
Children of gay parents exhibit gender-related behaviors that are "really indistinguishable" from their counterparts with heterosexual parents, Perrin said.
In fact, studies are now looking at benefits of growing up with homosexual parents, she said. "We're starting to look for strengths instead of looking to see if these kids do as well" as their counterparts with heterosexual parents, she said.
One recent study showed that "lesbian couples share household tasks more equally, and their children seem to be less aggressive and more tolerant towards diversity." Perrin said this was "not a big surprise," since children of gay parents often have to grow accustomed to diversity early in life.
Children of lesbian parents "reported more stresses, but they also reported greater well-being," she said. "Those kids were reported by teachers to be more nurturing and less aggressive."
Researchers should start focusing not on "what is the best kind of family for a child, but [on] the pros and cons of different kinds of families," she said.
Perrin authored a 2002 report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that changed the formal policy of the AAP to accept and support gay and lesbian parents and their adoption rights.
According to Perrin, asking about the adult sexual orientation of children of gay parents is intrinsically homophobic.
"One of those questions that always gets asked is, 'What are these kids going to be?' I'm bothered by that question, it's a homophobic question, because it doesn't matter" if a child is gay, she said.
Perrin also addressed the arguments raised by opponents of homosexual parenting. She conceded that most of the relevant studies are small and not comprehensive for logistical reasons. Most of the subjects are the children of lesbian parents, since there are not enough homosexual male couples willing to participate.
"Small and unrepresentative samples are a problem," she said, adding that many of the early studies have a "political bent," since they were intended to prove that homosexual couples could parent children.
As for the opposition, "they really don't have primary data. They do a lot of statistical manipulation," she said. "It's very hard to counter them, because until the past six years or so, we haven't had good enough data."
After Perrin's speech, some lesbian parents spoke of their personal experiences. Audrey Roth and her partner Robin Einzig used a sperm donor to have their daughter.
Roth and Einzig talked about the difficulties of choosing a donor based solely on written profiles. "You're deciding on the Internet who half of your daughter's genetic makeup is," Einzig said.
The couple agreed that they were lucky to live in Massachusetts, where homosexuality is more accepted than in other parts of the country. This has been a factor while traveling, according to Einzig. "I always think about what would happen if we drove across the country," she said.
Erin Phelps, who already had two children by her husband when she met her lesbian partner, said she found support from her community and her children's school system.
"My first thought was that the schools had to be a safe place for my kids," Phelps said. When she began speaking to school administrators and teachers about her family situation, she found they had already dealt with similar situations. "I discovered that I wasn't the first," she said.
