Abstract
Several recent studies have investigated parenthood by sexual minority individuals and same-sex couples, revealing an increase in this phenomenon in the gay and lesbian community and some of its repercussions. Specifically, among gay men, studies reveal a dominant representation of excluding roles when talking about male paternity and homosexuality, mainly due to the impossibility of couples to have biological children together. However, parenthood is still questioned for gay and lesbian people, especially with arguments regarding developmental consequences for children due to the absence of heterosexual roles. Few studies have monitored children adopted by gay and lesbian couples in order to investigate developmental aspects in these new family configurations. The few findings so far reveal that there are no significant differences in psychological adjustment or sexual and gender behavior when comparing children in heterosexual and homosexual families. In this sense, it is understood that the debate about developmental issues in these children is closely linked to conceptions of homosexuality as well as to the explanations given to the etiology of sexual orientation and the development of behaviors and gender identities. This chapter intends to discuss aspects of child development in children raised by gay and lesbian couples, reviewing aspects of beliefs about homosexuality and families with gay and lesbian parents.
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Cerqueira-Santos, E., Santos, J.J., Lawrenz, P. (2021). Child Development in Families with Gay and Lesbian Parents and Beliefs About Homosexuality. In: Morais, N.A.d., Scorsolini-Comin, F., Cerqueira-Santos, E. (eds) Parenting and Couple Relationships Among LGBTQ+ People in Diverse Contexts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84189-8_17
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