On February 21, 2024, during the program “Anatomy of Liberalism” of the pro-government POSTV, Georgian journalist Giorgi Akhvlediani stated that according to all international studies, the vast majority of children raised by same-sex parents become “people of non-traditional sexual orientation.”
The voiced claim is partly false. A number of studies about children raised by same-sex parents can indeed be found in open sources, but they do not confirm that the parent’s sexual orientation has a similar effect on the vast majority of children. Some studies prove that parents have no influence on the gender identity of their children.
The host of the program claimed that according to all international studies, the vast majority of children raised by same-sex parents become homosexual. Of the studies available openly, Akhvlediani’s assertions can only be found in the works carried out by researcher Paul Cameron, founder of the Family Research Institute; however, the validity of said studies is questionable.
In particular, according to a study published by Cameron in 2006, “children of homosexuals and transsexuals are more likely to be homosexual.” According to the abstract, the conclusion is derived from the analysis of three different studies. Cameron suggests that the sexual orientation of parents affects their children. Cameron talks about violence by parents and the desire for sexual intercourse with parents in another study.
It is worth noting that Paul Cameron’s claims and research were subsequently criticized many times. For example, according to researcher Todd Morrison’s comments, the methodology of Cameron’s study is questionable, and the study can be criticized as a “pseudo-scientific manifestation of an anti-homosexual agenda”. Cameron has been linked to various universities in the past, including the University of Nebraska, the University of Louisville, and Wayne State University. In the 1980s, the pro-LGBTQ+ press referred to him as “the most dangerous anti-gay voice in the United States.” On December 2, 1983, the American Psychological Association expelled him from membership “for violating the preamble of the ethical principles of psychologists.” On October 19, 1984, the Nebraska Psychological Association passed a resolution dissociating itself from Paul Cameron’s interpretations of the scientific literature on sexuality in his writings and statement. In 1985, the American Sociological Association (ASA) passed a resolution stating that Cameron had consistently misrepresented and misinterpreted sociological research on homosexuality and lesbianism, and had research results distorted to benefit his own campaign to limit gay and lesbian rights. In 1996, Cameron’s distortion of research findings was condemned by the Canadian Psychological Association. In 2013, Cameron visited Russia, met with State Duma representatives, spoke about protecting “traditional family values” and claimed that ⅓ of LGBTQ+ people support pedophilia.
As for other international studies that exist on the subject, they offer different conclusions. In particular, in 2019, a study by the University of California Law School was published, which only studied the cases of children of lesbian parents. According to the mentioned research, the children of lesbian parents are less likely to identify as heterosexual; however, the indicator is not even close to the “absolute majority”. In particular, the research started in 1986 and 76 people were observed from conception to adulthood. According to the results, out of 76 children of a lesbian couple, 70% of females and 90% of males identify as heterosexual. The results of the study are compared to the indicators of 25-year-olds who took part in the national survey of family growth – 88% of female and 98% of male persons identified as heterosexual in this study. The author of the study, Nanette Gartrell, suggests that the reason is the parenting method, because they do not judge their children, which allows them to be more free to explore themselves. According to her, at the time the study began, there was much speculation about the mental health and sexual orientation of children of lesbian parents. Gartrell is also a co-author of a study conducted on the mental health of children of lesbian couples – according to the study, there were no significant differences between the 25-year-old children of same-sex parents and other individuals. In Gartrell’s words, his work challenges old “stereotypes and fears” that children raised by same-sex parents will be psychologically damaged and that many of them will be homosexual. The author of the study says that these fears are unfounded.
According to another study, within which the development of children of lesbian and gay parents was compared with the development of children of heterosexual parents, the child’s development was not related to the sexual orientation and gender identity of their parents. A study published in 2022 in the Netherlands received the same results. In addition, there are papers that claim that same-sex parents do not influence the gender identity of their children. The author of this study is Rachel Faria, a representative of the University of Kentucky. In her words, the obtained results suggest that “gender development of children adopted by lesbian and gay parents proceeds in a typical way and is similar to children adopted by heterosexual couples.”
In addition, one study led by Deni Mazrekaj, Ph.D., of the Oxford Department of Sociology, concluded that children raised by same-sex parents perform better at school. Some of the studies listed above also show that children of same-sex parents have better relationships with their parents.
“Myth Detector” has debunked the false information spread in the program “Anatomy of Liberalism” by Giorgi Akhvlediani in the past as wel. See:
- DISINFORMATION THAT CHILDREN IN THE US AND CANADA CAN UNDERGO GENDER REASSIGNMENT WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT (in Georgian)
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