A meta-analysis of 26 previously-published studies focusing on children living with same-sex parents finds “evidence […that] suggests intergenerational transfer of sexual orientation can occur at statistically significant and substantial rates, especially for female parents or female children.”
Walter Schumm, Kansas State University researcher, concluded that 28 percent of the children (over age 17) of same-sex parents identify as gay with the figure dropping to 20 percent for children under age 17. The rate of homosexuality for children raised by heterosexual parents is just under four percent.
Mr. Schumm, looking at anthropological studies of various cultures, found that of communities that welcome gays and lesbians, “89 percent feature higher rates of homosexual behavior.”
Gay advocacy groups are actively working to cast doubt on Mr. Schumm’s work, but that pesky 28 percent number for children raised by gay parents just keeps resurfacing in the studies. Maybe that’s because it is the real number. It is also interesting to note that many gay advocates are “OK” with sharing that statistic as fact. They argue that there’s nothing wrong with being gay so why be concerned about that figure.
Here are some examples of existing studies pointing to an intergenerational transfer of same-sex behavior:
With respect to actual involvement in same-gender sexual relationships, there was a significant difference between groups . . . None of the children from heterosexual families had experienced a lesbian or gay relationship.” By contrast, five (29 percent) of the 17 daughters and one (13 percent) of the eight boys in homosexual families reported having at least one same-sex relationship. Susan Golombok and Fiona L. Tasker, “Do Parents Influence the Sexual Orientation of Their Children? Findings from a Longitudinal Study of Lesbian Families,” Developmental Psychology 32 (1996): 7.
Sixty-four percent of young adults raised by lesbian mothers reported considering having same-sex relationships. Only 17 percent of young adults in heterosexual families reported the same thing. Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz, “Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter? American Sociological Review 66 (2001): 159-183.
Other studies show that children raised by homosexuals were more dissatisfied with their own gender, had homosexual experiences more frequently, and suffered a greater rate of molestation by members of their families (Adolescence, 1996; Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1986; American Sociological Review, 2001).