Gay And Lesbian Children

The current estimates of children who live with bisexual parents, either the gay or the lesbians in United States of America are in the tune of between six to ten million. The census conducted in the year 2000 treated these children as single parent children. At the moment, over twenty percent of the existing gay as well as lesbian relationships have a child in their homesteads. In the American society, the families of gay as well as lesbians forms a fundamental element of the daily life. Introduction It has already been established that partners of the same sex ran their households almost in the entire county. It is also true that the homes led by the gay as well as the lesbians are in the tune of 600 000 in the entire nation† (Leff). It therefore implies that, the numbers of the children with transgender, bisexual, gay or lesbian parents are always on the increase. This category of the children may hail in families of mixed race, adoptive families or even families that are si ngle parent. There is also likelihood that the children are biologically fathered or mothered by one of the parents. This is out of the fact that majority of the gay as well as the lesbians commit themselves in gay or lesbian relationships at the time of being parents. The other fact holds that the gay and the lesbians had children in their earlier life of heterosexual relationship but later got involved in their current sexual status (Leff). Literature review The documentary film that talks about what it is like to grow up with gay or lesbian parents that I have chosen for the purpose of this paper is entitled DADDY & PAPA and from the context as presented, Johnny Symons, who is the film maker played the part of Papa, while William Rogers, who was his partner, played the part of Daddy. The two couples were committed for a period of about ten years although in an informally accepted union. They later got married officially in 2004 at a ceremony highly cheered by their sons (DADDY & PAPA). There are some general ideas that are worth reflection. It is therefore upright in as far as the video is concerned to conclude that multiple and diverse ways exist in which a family can be composed. The existing families assume varied and diverse sizes as well as diverse configurations. There exists ordinary aspect among the variety of families in existence. The existing families have their kinds considered normal. However some kinds of a family may be numerous in relation to others. All of these families once in a while experience conflict of some kind which is part and parcel of the family. It is not practical for the families to be happy at all times. If teasing is a common occurrence in the family, hurt feelings as well as low self-esteem is most likely to be the repercussion to the offended member (s) of the family. It is also a possibility for the interruption of teasing to be done by members of the family who the become allies in as far as the other members are concerned. It is possible for families to experience a transformation just as it is with the people. Families of different kinds are potentially gifted to support one another for the purpose of their individual strengths more than any particular kind of family existing independently of any other (DADDY & PAPA). According to Judith, â€Å"The fact that the child is from a straight family with both mother and father does not warrant that the child will always be happy, safe and have a secure environment at home to allow the child a chance to grow into a productive individual who is properly adjusted. Parents of the same gender as well as parents of opposite gender have the same reaction in as far as stings are concerned, the scraps, the shorts as well as and the joys together with the heartaches affecting childhood in a similar manner as their children† (Judith, 12). According to Elias â€Å"Parents who are open about their sexual orientation, who exhibit mentally healthy behavior and provide supportive communities for their kids, tend to have the most resilient youngsters† (Para 9). Further, paragraph. point number 2 states that â€Å"Gay parents share child care and chores more evenly than heterosexual couples. Both men assume mommy/daddy roles. They're coaches and cooks,† (Para 6) Judith further asserts that â€Å"The potential to become great or otherwise in as far as the parent is concerned has no any relationship to the sexual orientation of a person. Adults who are nurturing are reliable whether they are male or female; they have the potential, and are usually excellent parents† (Judith, 33). She further summarizes the issue with a comment that â€Å"The physical appearance of the family is not actually a reflection of the particular family type† (Judith, 37). The most significant thing is the shared love among the members of that particular family which actually brings about the difference in existence among the members of the family. Taken from the perspective of Levy â€Å"the health as well as the development of the child, there is no significant difference among the child of the heterosexual family and a child from a gay or a lesbian family† (Para 1). The organizations with a strong devotion to the health as well as welfare of the children are in no compromise as far as the health is concerned. The adjustment of the child of couples of the same gender is no different from those ones of children from families of heterosexual nature (Lev). According to Elias, There exists no scientific evidence that sexual orientation determines the parenting effectiveness; any parent can provide supportive and healthy environments for their children. Elias says, â€Å"The children will benefit if their parents are able to marry† (paragraph 1). The only shortcomings facing the children of same-sex marriage is the failure of the efforts by the schools to meet their needs in as far as being more inclusive. This situation is compounded by the teasing and the mockery that they face from children of normal families (Elias). According to Lev â€Å"Much of the research describes four general outcomes for cross-gendered children. One, they grow up to be normatively gendered, heterosexual people. Two, they grow up to be feminine men or masculine women. Three, they grow up to be lesbian or gay† (Para 6). Four, they grow up to be transsexual or transgender. The most common outcome seems to be that gender-variant boys grow up to be gay. Treatment—in the form of behavioral modification programs geared at eliminating cross-gender behavior—are the standard recommendation† (Para 6). Chapter 9 of the same website suggests that â€Å"Something is very wrong here, but I’m not sure it is Kyle who has the problem. In order to decide if something is ‘wrong’ with Kyle, we need to define what we mean by wrong. Do we think it is wrong to be a sensitive heterosexual man? Do we think it is wrong to be a gay man? I suspect most of us will respond to those questions with a resounding No! † (Chapter 9). But the minority group has had to encounter great challenges due to discrimination. According to the article Liberation Was For Others â€Å"Latest research estimates that approximately 10,000 – 15,000 men were sent to concentration camps solely for being homosexual the same article stresses that Some lesbians, as well as feminists, were considered A-Socials† by the Nazis and were sent to the camps in limited numbers. Many served their time in camp brothels servicing the Nazis as well as some camp inmates† (Chapter 3). Conclusion The fact of the matter is that shapes as well as the sizes of various families are also diverse. All types of parents are gifted to raise their children, whether they are married, unmarried, grandparents of the children, single parents, widowed, members of an extended family and foster parents among many others. There are high chances of the possibility that children from gay or lesbian parent enjoy a happier life in comparison to a child from a normal family. The family is a care giver of primary importance and a central focus for the strength as well support in as far as the children are concerned. The security given to a child out of a setting of a stable family is the necessary ingredient responsible for the healthy future of the child. The gay as well as the lesbians have been involved in child rearing from the past, a trend that will continue into the future.