Determining Factors in LGBTQ+ Parenting

As gay marriage becomes legalized and LGBTQ+ protections expand, there is need for more in-depth research on the integration of LGBTQ+ people into a heteronormative society without conformity. This study aims to establish the presence and importance of LGBTQ+ people as parents, as well as determine the factors that make a queer individual most likely to have children as well as what demographic of the LGBTQ+ community is most likely to experience parenthood. To test the hypothesis that older, lesbian couples in a marriage or domestic partnership would be the most likely to have children, data was collected from the 2017 LGBTQ Institute Southern Survey, and analyzed through descriptive statistics to determine which demographics of people would be most likely to have children and whether age, race, gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, and personal income would have an effect on someone’s decision to experience parenthood. Though some of the survey questions showcased missing data, the results suggested that transgender, nonbinary, gender queer, and cisgender women were more likely to have children than cisgender men, lesbians were more likely to have children than gay or bisexual people, and people of higher ages / incomes were more likely to have children. Overall, the results show that there is a large percentage of LGBTQ+ people with children; thus, legislation and societal norms should regard families and parenthood as outside of heteronormative stereotypes and should show families as being unique, regardless of who the parent(s) are.