Do children raised in a gay or lesbian home have problems with school, personal and social relationships? What are the implications of marriage for these children? Those questions were discussed during a special session at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition.

Ellen Perrin, MD, FAAP, conducted a review of many research studies following children raised in gay and lesbian families. Several studies compared outcomes for these children with those raised in a heterosexual environment. The studies evaluated parent-child relationships, self-esteem and psychological adjustment for each group of children. Information from more than 15 studies involving more than 500 children shows that raising children in a same-sex household did not affect the children’s self-esteem, gender identity, or risk of psychological problems. In fact, the studies found that children of single parents often have higher stress levels, more discipline problems, and more trouble with social adjustment when compared to children raised by lesbian couples.

“Overall, there is little to no difference between children raised in a two-parent homosexual or heterosexual environment,” said Dr. Perrin. Because child-rearing and family dynamics is a personal issue, and in order to gain a more personal perspective, Dr. Perrin invited two gay parents and a teen child of gay parents to add their personal insight to this educational session.