The birds, the bees…and the sperm banks: How lesbian mothers talk with their children about sex and reproduction.

Abstract

Findings are presented from a thematic content analysis of individual and group interviews in which 26 lesbian mothers were asked about their concerns, values, and hopes regarding their children's sex education; about what they have done and plan to do with regard to sex education; and about how they evaluate their efforts to date. Themes, linked to the children's age, are described and illustrated with vignettes and observations from the participants.

Children's adjustment in non‐traditional families in Israel: the effect of parental sexual orientation and the number of parents on children's development

“…Children of lesbian mothers indicated higher levels of prosocial behaviour and lower levels of loneliness compared with children of heterosexual mothers. This again coincides with previous evidence showing that children of lesbian mothers are more emotionally expressive and more open to social and cultural variations (Steckel 1987; Mitchell 1998; Biblarz & Stacey 2010). Explanations offered for this phenomenon suggest that lesbian mothers tend to strongly instill educational values of equality and acceptance of diversity in their children and that they themselves adhere to more equality in division of household labour and child‐raising than heterosexual families (Biblarz & Stacey 2010).…”

(How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter?

“…Sociology could make a valuable contribution to this field by researching processes that interact at the individual, family, and community level to undergird parent-child links between gender and sexuality. Under homophobic conditions, lesbigay parents are apt to be more sensitive to issues surrounding their children's sexual development and to injuries that children with nonconforming desires may experience, more open to discussing sexuality with their children, and more affirming of their questions about sexuality (Mitchell 1998;Tasker and Golombok 1997). It therefore seems likely, although this has yet to be studied, that their children will grow up better informed about and more comfortable with sexual desires and practices.…”

“…Because lesbigay parents do not enjoy the same rights, respect, and recognition as heterosexual parents, their children contend with the burdens of vicarious social stigma. Likewise, some of the particular strengths and sensitivities such children appear to display, such as a greater capacity to express feelings or more empathy for social diversity (Mitchell 1998;O'Connell 1994), are probably artifacts of marginality and may be destined for the historical dustbin of a democratic, sexually pluralist society.…”

The National Lesbian Family Study: 3. Interviews with mothers of five-year-olds.

“…Having a child was found to strengthen the relationships of couples in one study Gnrtrell ct nl (Nelson, 1996) and ties to their family of origin in another (Dunne, 2000). Lesbian mothers tended to be honest with their children about the DI and about their own lesbianism, and many felt an ongoing obligation to educate their communities about lesbian families (Nelson, Mitchell, 1998).…”