The Sociology of Queer Parenting
Emily T. Herrick
For many people, the ideal family consists of a heterosexual mother, heterosexual father, and the biological children they have together. However, in both academic and popular media, the growing prevalence and acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) parents calls this into question. The purpose of this project is to investigate the impact of same-sex and transgender parenting on children. When homosexuality was illegal and considered deviant, it was assumed that gay, lesbian, and transgender people do not make good parents. Recent research, however, indicates that non-heteronormative parenting might produce more beneficial outcomes for children than heterosexual parenting. This paper studies the assumption that heterosexual parenting figures are not necessary for a child to have healthy psychological development. In this paper, I will be exploring the sociology of LGBTQ+ relationships, the data concerning differential impacts of queer parenting on children, and the sociosexual or atypical gender development of their children.
Emily Herrick is from Charleston, South Carolina. She is currently a senior majoring in sociology with a minor in psychology. She hopes to go to graduate school at College of Charleston and become a Child Life Specialist.
