Family Lives of Lesbian and Gay Adults

A Review and Critique of Research on Same-Sex Parenting and Adoption

“…Same-sex parental relationships as less stable. However, recently, Biblarz and Stacey (2010) as well as Patterson (2013b) broke with the no differences hypothesis with Patterson admitting that ''dissolution rates for same-sex couples do, however, appear to be higher than those for heterosexual married couples'' (p. 663).…”

“…(2010) acknowledged that “less is known about lesbian and gay adoptive families than about other families headed by lesbian and gay parents” and that there are “only a small number of studies exploring family functioning and children’s adjustment in adoptive families with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples” (p. 166) and that “in sum, very little empirical research about adoptive lesbian and gay families has been reported” (p. 166), but they concurred with the gist of Brooks et al.’s (2012) conclusions, stating that “the findings of these studies are consistent with those of previous research in that parental sexual orientation has not been found to be significantly associated with child outcomes or family functioning” (p. 166). However, Farr and Patterson (2013b) acknowledged that “there is continued controversy surrounding the adoption of children” (p. 39).…”

“…There is yet not enough consistency among the outcomes studied to permit a formal, rigorous meta-analysis, so this review will be more narrative in nature. However, not only are arguments made of “no difference” with respect to parental sexual orientation and adoption, but Farr and Patterson (2013b) have made a case that lesbian and gay adoptive parents may make better adoptive parents than many heterosexuals, ultimately concluding that family process matters more to child outcomes than family structure. Yet, at the same time, Farr and Patterson (2013b) said that “further study will be needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about associations between parental sexual orientation and family functioning among adoptive couples” (p. 49).…”

Sexual similarity, complementarity, accuracy, and overperception in same‐sex couples

“…Is there reason to question whether relationship processes relevant to sexual interaction operate differently in same‐sex relationships, compared to heterosexual relationships? Overall, existing research into the romantic lives of gay men, lesbians, and heterosexuals finds more similarities than differences (see Kurdek, , and Patterson, , for reviews). For example, no meaningful differences have been found in long‐term romantic partners' love and liking for each other (Peplau & Fingerhut, ).…”

Book Review: Same-Sex Parenting Research: A Critical Assessment

“…In terms of gender roles, while there was considerable variance in study results, at least some studies indicate trends for the children of same-sex parents to adopt less rigid gender roles, with sons being more feminine and daughters being more masculine. Professor Schumm notes that one of the major handbooks on marriage and the family today is quite misleading on this subject (Patterson 2013).…”