Posted: September 7th, 2024

Peculiarities of parenting at LGBT families Essay

Peculiarities of parenting at LGBT families Essay.

The number of lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families is rapidly increasing, particularly in the United States of America. This growth is reflective of societal changes in attitudes towards diverse family structures. In 2000, American census data revealed that there were approximately 63,000 LGBT families. This data demonstrates the steady presence of such families within the social fabric. In 2012, the number increased to more than 110,000 families. This surge highlights the evolving landscape of family diversity in modern society. Parenting in LGBT families is different from heterogeneous parenting. These differences stem from the unique experiences and challenges faced by LGBT parents. Although there are a few similar challenges that face both heterogeneous and LGBT families, such as teaching open communication, monitoring children’s extracurricular activities, and setting limits, there are nuances in how these challenges manifest in LGBT households. LGBT parenting faces more complex and peculiar situations compared to heterogeneous parenting. These complexities often arise from societal attitudes and the legal systems that govern family rights.

Unlike most heterogeneous marriages that get children through childbirth, LGBT families get children mostly through adoption, surrogacy, donor insemination, and children from former heterosexual relationships. These alternative paths to parenthood bring with them unique legal and emotional considerations. LGBT parents face a lot of discrimination, stereotypes, and homophobic attitudes. The pressure of societal scrutiny often weighs heavily on these families. Most of them are not able to expose their sexual orientation and gender status for fear of losing employment, and child custody. The fear of losing stability adds an additional layer of stress to their lives. These negative notions about same-sex parents may reflect on their children, and the children may end up being discriminated against just like their parents. The ripple effect of such discrimination impacts the well-being of the entire family unit. This makes it hard for LGBT parents to explain to their children, friends, and teachers about their sexuality. The challenge of addressing these issues complicates the process of fostering understanding within social circles.

Some socialists argue that LGBT parenting is likely to affect the moral values of a child. These arguments are often rooted in conservative beliefs about family and gender roles. Most religious beliefs support heterogeneous marriages. Religious institutions frequently cite traditional doctrines to argue against the legitimacy of same-sex families. Same-sex marriages are against religious teachings, and children raised in such settings can end up emulating their parents. This raises debates about the influence of parental relationships on child development. LGBT parents also face losing children’s custody whenever the issue of their gender status and sexual orientation is raised in court. The legal system remains a significant battleground for the rights of LGBT families. This may portray a parent’s inability to take care of a child and possible abuse by non-biological parents. The assumption of incompetence or danger from non-biological parents persists despite a lack of evidence. Some people view same-sex partners as sex predators who can sexually abuse children. These harmful stereotypes fuel fear and prejudice against LGBT families.

Given that most children in LGBT families are from previous heterosexual relationships, co-parenting complexities may arise, particularly if the former partners and extended family members are not in support of same-sex marriages. This lack of support can create tension and instability in the child’s upbringing. Also, competent child parenting may be affected by both internalized homophobia and external homophobia. Internalized homophobia can erode the confidence of LGBT parents in their abilities, while external homophobia perpetuates feelings of exclusion. The number of therapists specializing in counseling LGBT partners on matters of discrimination and homophobic beliefs has increased. The growing demand for such services indicates the widespread impact of prejudice on LGBT families. This proves that same-sex marriages are majorly affected by notions and attitudes of society. The continuous struggle for acceptance and equality shapes the daily lives of these families.

LGBT parenting is no doubt challenging, given that society has not yet accepted the practice. The persistence of traditional views on family structure exacerbates these challenges. Nuclear families with parents from both genders and children are viewed as the best families. The idealization of such families reinforces societal expectations. Same-sex marriages break the norms of traditional families and gender roles. This disruption provokes both resistance and conversation about evolving family dynamics. They are faced with peculiarities and challenges that most heterogeneous families don’t face. These distinct challenges require resilience and adaptive strategies from LGBT parents.

References
Longhi, Elena Vittoria, Giorgio Franco, and Fulvio Colombo. “LGBT Families.” Psychosexual Counseling in Andrological Surgery. Springer, Cham, 2019. 29-32.
Faria, Gabriel. Family ties that bind: same-sex, same best interest: an analysis of the European Court of Human Rights approach to the best interests of the child in gay parenting cases. Diss. 2013.
Pontes, Mônica Fortuna, Terezinha Féres-Carneiro, and Andrea Seixas Magalhães. “Female same-sex parenting: biological and affective bonds in family dynamics.” Psicologia USP 28.2 (2017): 276-286.

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Tags: Adoption and Surrogacy, Discrimination and Homophobia, Family Diversity, LGBT Parenting Challenges, Psych Research Paper Sample