What has research shown about the adjustment or development of children and adolescents reared by same-sex couples compared with those reared by other couples?

More than three decades of research conducted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands has failed to reveal important differences in the adjustment or development of children and adolescents reared by same-sex couples compared with those reared by other couples. Specifically, children and adolescents raised by lesbian mothers or gay fathers do not differ from other children on measures of emotional development, such as empathy and emotional regulation. Instead, some studies have suggested that children raised by gay and lesbian parents may score higher in some aspects of social and academic competence, and show fewer social and behavioral problems and lower levels of aggression, than other children. Moreover, children raised by lesbian mothers and gay fathers show similar patterns of gender identity and gender role development as children raised by heterosexual parents-they are not more likely to display a gay or lesbian orientation in adulthood. Researchers have concluded that a family's social and economic resources, the strength of the relationships among members of the family, and the presence of stigma are far more important variables than parental gender or sexual orientation in affecting children's development and well-being.