- Abbie Goldberg
Abbie Goldberg, author of “Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children” was the guest on “Lambda Weekly” today. An article about her work appeared in today’s New York Times Magazine. Goldberg is an assistant professor at Clark University in Massachusetts.
Goldberg has been studying gay and lesbian parents since 2005. Using her own studies as well as others that have been done, she concludes that the children of gays and lesbians do just fine. Others who have read her work conclude that the study indicates gays and lesbians, on average, make better parents than the average straight couple. She believes that since most gay and lesbian parenting is planned, it is better than parenting by the poster child for abstinence-only, heterosexual-only sex education, Bristol Palin.
Some interesting statistics she found:
One in five male same-sex couple are raising children.
One in three lesbian couples are raising children.
In 1990, one in 20 male couples and one in five lesbian couples were raising children.
Male children of lesbian couples have fewer sexual partners than male children of straight couples.
Female children of lesbians have more sexual partners than female children of straight couples.
Goldberg said on the air that she thinks the male children are raised repecting women more, aware of abuse of women by men and conscious of not taking advantage of them.
She thinks that female children of lesbians are raised more feminist and more in charge of their own bodies.
She said that a similar study of children of male couples has not been done. Lerone Landis, co-host of “Lambda Weekly” who is raising a 10-month old child with his husband Danny Valle, said that he’s already overprotective and has started thinking about when their daughter brings home boys. Goldberg agreed that this was something she’s heard from a number of other male partners with children.
Although her studies have shown that gay and lesbian couples are no more or less likely to have gay or lesbian children than straight couples, Goldberg said it’s something that always comes up and the answer really should be: So what?
— David Taffet
Simple answer: GLBT people, straight people, singles, couples, old, young, all races and backgrounds are equally qualified to be parents. Not better. Equal.
Sexual identity has nothing to do with parenting skills.
Actually, her studies find some differences in parenting. Out of necessity, lesbian and gay parents tend to plan their families longer and generally become parents at a later age. That makes lesbian and gay parents more equivalent to straight parents who have adopted or waited and planned. But the study shows “on average,” which includes the Willow Palins who get pregnant at 17 and cannot support their children themselves emotionally or financially. Also, her studies show that children of lesbians and gays tend to be more open-minded about a number of issues such as careers. Daughters of lesbians are more likely than the general population to study medicine or law, careers that are traditionally “male careers.” This called better parenting by some, and others, who think a woman should be subservient to her husband, wouldn’t call it that. The studies show many subtle differences, but her point really isn’t that we’re better. Her point is equally good. Others, such as USA Today that wrote about her work this week, are the ones interpreting it as better.
There was a time when medicine or law was considered “male careers,” but not recently, so I don’t know how you conclude that women who enter these fields are distinct in terms of gender roles. And women who grow up to be nurses or teachers instead of doctors, are “subservient.”? Now you’re just being ridiculous. I’d love to introduce you to some of the nurses and teachers I have known.
“…male children are raised respecting women” “female children of lesbians are raised more feminist and more in charge of their bodies” But she’s not saying lesbians are “better.” Right.
Any family that raises it daughters in the belief that “woman should be subservient to her husband” is a substandard family. No one is subservient to anyone. Families that raise their children to believe that women are subservient to men are the kind of family should be considered damaging to children. That is not the right environment to raise children in.
Abbie is a beautiful woman. would be very nice if she was straight 🙂 alas