Married with children: Study shows lesbian and gay teens want to be parents some day

Research indicates that lesbian and gay kids want to be married with children by the time they’re in their 30’s. In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, social scientists have found that many lesbian and gay youth have expectations of spending their adult life in a long-term relationship raising children.

A recent study questioned about 133 New York City youths [kids in rural areas might have different responses] on various topics – including long-term relationships, family, and adoption. Researchers found that more than 90% of females and more than 80% of males expect to be partnered in a monogamous relationship after age 30. About 67% of males and 55% of females expressed the desire to raise children.

Of those who expressed some likelihood, 58% of males and 54% of females expect to be raising their own biological children. Forty-two percent of males and 32% of females expect to adopt. Sixteen percent of males and 14% of females expect to be foster parents. Thirty-six percent of females and 17% of males expect to help their partner raise her or his biological children.

“We seem to be witnessing the mainstreaming of lesbian/gay youth, with many of them wanting exactly what heterosexual youth have always wanted – the whole American dream complete with kids and the minivan,” Robert-Jay Green of the Rockway Institute said in a statement. “Most agree that the primary issue is whether these youth will be given the equal legal rights to realize their couple and family aspirations just like their heterosexual peers. If these young people realize their expectations, the LGBT community will be a vastly different place in 20 years, with many more families and children. The implications are staggering for how the lesbian/gay community will be different in the 21st century than in generations past, when it was mainly a secret society of singles.”

The study was conducted by Anthony R. D’Augelli, H. Jonathon Rendina and Katerina O. Sinclair of Pennsylvania State University and Arnold Grossman of New York University and published in the Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling (Vol. 1, No. 4, 2006/2007, pp. 77-98).

Article adapted by ProudParenting.com from original press release.