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3 myths about LGBTQ+ parental families

Do families of same-gender parents face more difficulties in the education of their children than families of heterosexual parents?

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The family has been defined in many ways, depending on the lens with which it is viewed: legal, social, psychological, cultural and even religious.

However, we all agree that it’s a group of people who live together under the same roof and share common emotional ties, interests, and goals; families themselves are the foundations of our societies.

In the 21st century, a topic of great discussion at a global level is the reality of the presence of families with same-gender parents in all areas of our communities.

Several debates have arisen regarding the functionality and relevance of such families within the context of the education and the upbringing of healthy and happy children who are able to face the challenges of the updated world.

It’s in this area where a myriad of myths has become widespread. We will try to address some of them.

"A child in a family where both parents are of the same gender is more exposed to bullying"

School bullying is a phenomenon that has been present throughout history in all social contexts, and our current schools are no exception. It’s just more visible today and has become a "focus" theme of the development of the child and adolescent.

However, there are multiple studies that have examined bullying without being able to conclude that the children of same-gender families suffer more mistreatment and harassment than the children of heterosexual parents.

The reasons why bullying is so deeply rooted in the school environment is due to many causes and is generally part of the social interaction test that occurs in childhood and adolescence, where we begin to appreciate the differences and learn respect and tolerance.

In this regard, children tend to more easily acquire the tools to socialize with their peers and incorporate these values ​​than adults.

“A child raised by homosexuals will be homosexual”

Gender identity and the choice of sexual partners are part of a process of personality construction that is much more complex than simple imitation in human beings.

The development of our personality, the elaboration of a life purpose and our visualization in the world with a particular role are the result of a series of events that are experienced in the preschool and early teenage years, during which we have the parental figures as scaffolding that sustain us and support us in achieving it.

In our Latin American communities - and even throughout the world – it’s very common to find families with a single father or mother, a historical phenomenon that has always been there and that doesn’t determine the distribution of the number of homosexuals or heterosexuals in the societies.

We don’t choose our gender identity or our partner because of the presence or absence of one of our parents.

“Children of same-gender parents don’t achieve healthy development and are often unstable”

The functions of the family are to: meet the satisfaction of basic needs; provide affection, security, and protection; and establish norms and promote values. The fact that a homosexual couple decides to form a family does not change these motivations, objectives, and dynamics.

Homosexuality was only formally criminalized in the history of humanity during the Middle Ages when it was branded as a crime and even mental illness. It was not until the middle of the 20th century that decriminalization began and the mental illness label was removed.

The fact that a same-gender couple has guarantees of legal rights, social stability and cultural acceptance in the environment will facilitate its functioning as a fundamental cell in the structure of our communities.

The performance of the paternal and maternal role is essential for the proper development of the human being, no matter who exercises it.

The gender of both parents is not important, as long as we understand that our families are a stable, affectionate, and secure institution where we must prove the child with an environment that favors their growth and development.

 

Y.M. The Fakih is a child-youth psychiatrist with more than 25 years of experience
and collaborates with ALDIA in health columns.
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