Lesbian parenting studies flawed

Wendy Wright:

One study that got a lot of attention a few years ago had the official-sounding title “The U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study.” It followed lesbian parents over 25 years and reported that the kids were well-adjusted and had fewer behavioral problems than their peers.

Who evaluated the kids?

The lesbian parents.

Who labeled them well-adjusted?

The researcher, whose funding for the survey came from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy groups.

The mothers were interviewed over the 25 year period, beginning at pregnancy or the insemination process, then when the children were 2, 5, 10 and 17 years old. The children were interviewed at 10-years old and did an online survey at 17 years old.

The lesbian couples were self-selected, recruited in higher-income, high-education areas, were overwhelmingly Caucasian, and nearly all in the Northeast and West of the U.S. The comparison group was a cross-section of the U.S. population.