Gay and lesbian parents tend to be well-educated, high income earners, and aged forty-plus, suggests the latest results from the ground-breaking Lavender Islands survey of gay and lesbian lifestyles. The survey also found that just over one in five men and women were parents, and that two-thirds of those said that their children had not been disadvantaged in any way because of their parents sexual identities. “Those that do have problems have them at school, in the medical office and in clubs and sport,” says Mark Henrickson, Senior Lecturer in Social and Cultural Studies at Massey University's Albany Campus, and leader of the project team that devised the survey. “These are problems of other people's reactions to children of LGB parents, not problems that resulted from LGB parenting. This is consistent with reputable international literature.” The results of the survey were compiled from 2,276 gay and lesbian respondents, who answered 133 questions on a range of topics including sexual attraction, emotional attraction, political beliefs, religious beliefs. It is the largest survey of LGBT communities conducted in New Zealand, and is believed to be a world-first in its comprehensiveness.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 20th December 2004 - 12:00pm