Studies Show Latino Gay/Lesbian Couples Adopt At Highest Rate Among Gay Couples

February 8, 2008
Via Newswise

While Spanish-speaking telenovelas (TV Soap Operas) may be a bit over the top when it comes to love, passion, conflicts and families, they also reflect real life and society – including recent story lines about gay parenting. With recent studies showing that Latino gay and lesbian couples have higher adoption rates than other same-sex couples, it’s no coincidence that gay adoption has appeared in two recent novelas, "Barreras de Amor" (The Barriers of Love), and “Amar Sin Limites” (To Love Without Limits).

“The trend in telenovelas of portraying gay and lesbian couples with adopted children is a cultural phenomenon and an extension of how gays and lesbians are carrying ‘La Familia’ - the utmost Latino cultural value - into their lifestyles,” said Dr. Eduardo Morales, Ph.D., Professor of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), Alliant International University, San Francisco Campus.

Recent Statistics from New York’s National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and National Latino/a Coalition for Justice underscore the trend with key findings of same-sex couples in Florida:
• Male same-sex couples where both partners are Hispanic raise children at more than three times the rate (58%) than white non-Hispanic male same-sex couples (19%).
• Female same-sex couples in which both partners are Hispanic raise children at more than twice the rate (66%) of white non-Hispanic female same-sex couples (32%).
• More Hispanic female same-sex couples (54%) report raising at least one child under the age of 18, compared to Hispanic married opposite-sex couples (70%) and Hispanic cohabiting opposite-sex couples (59%).

“Some of these cases include people who were previously married and had children before entering into a gay lifestyle," Dr. Morales said.

While some states are grappling with legislative issues related to gay parenting, the reality is that a growing number of lesbians and gay men are becoming parents and living as families every day. Beyond the fray of soundbites and blogs, research has revealed that family stability, nurturing and love are far more important to the health of adoptive children than gender roles or family stereotypes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (2000) recommends that social workers ask one key question in making placement decisions that will be in the child’s best interest: "Is this couple (or person) caring, nurturing, and sensitive to others?”

Alliant’s Rockway Institute has disseminated psychological studies that reveal key factors that can make gay/lesbian couples better parents than some straight couples – or can at least provide healthy examples in the area of child-rearing: Gay parents (1) often use softer communication of feelings in conflict situations, and (2) the parents use more equally nurturing behaviors toward one another and their children.

Recently, the Williams and Urban Institutes released an updated study, “Adoption and Foster Care by Lesbian and Gay Parents in the United States” combining data from a number of reliable sources. It found that

• More gay men (52%) and lesbians (41%) express the desire to have a child than heterosexual and bisexual men (33%).
• Approximately 65,000 adopted children are being raised by lesbian or gay parents, accounting for more than 4% of all adopted children in the United States.
• Same-sex couples of color adopt children of color at a higher rate than married heterosexual couples.
• On average, same-sex couples raising adopted children are older more (formally) educated, and have more economic resources than other adoptive parents.

The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) San Francisco campus offers extensive training in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender psychology (LGBT). “In my work at CSPP and as Executive Director of AGUILAS, an HIV prevention program, I strive to integrate LGBT cultural concepts into the fabric of the psychological services and interventions we provide,” said Dr. Morales. Alliant International University’s Latino Achievement Initiative (LAI) also specializes in higher education access and success for the traditionally underserved Latino population, as well as offering expertise about Latinos to other students, academic communities and the media throughout the U.S.