Open AccessGrowing Up in the Gay Shadow: The Impact of Heterosexual Privilege on Children with Same-Sex Parents
Author(s) -
Christopher S. Lamb
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
canadian journal of family and youth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1718-9748
DOI - 10.29173/cjfy21489
Subject(s) - disadvantage , privilege (computing) , shadow (psychology) , politics , face (sociological concept) , same sex , lesbian , psychology , gender studies , heterosexuality , developmental psychology , homosexuality , sociology , political science , social science , law , psychotherapist
Same-sex marriage is currently at the forefront of many political debates worldwide, and one of the main concerns for both sides of the marriage debate is the well-being of children being raised in same-sex families. This paper reviews various areas of research in order to discover whether or not children are at a disadvantage if they are raised in a same-sex family. Findings suggest that while children who grow up in same-sex families face unique challenges that would not occur in heterosexual families, the overall quality of life is comparable to that of children in heterosexual families. Negative attitudes toward same-sex couples raising children are related to the presence of heterosexual privilege in society.