Do Lesbians Make Good Parents?

I don't think lesbians would fair better or worse on the average, than the rest of us. However, I think the Lipstick Lesbians would be better in the kitchen, and go over better at the PTA...

Same as sofia, minus the lipstick part.

(SO not real, babe.)

I agree, they're definitely fake.

Oh! We're talking about lesbian parents!... Hmm. I'm sure they'd be just as good or bad as any of us hetero parents. What I really hate is the assumption by right-wingers that raising children in a gay or lesbian home predisposes them to homosexuality. I mean, aren't most gays & lesbians raised in straight homes? Gimme a break...

If they're low-life scumbags, they'll suck at raising kids.

If they're good people, they'll do fine. Only problem I can see is the kids getting made fun of at school.

Speaking of lipstick lesbos...what's better than two hot chicks kissing?

I must affirm that the Lipstick Lesbians are more palatable to the masses than the mullet-hairdo or bowl jaw lesbians. I know a smattering-- and the Lipsticks blend-- the mullet hairdo's and overt facially masculine wimmin are avoided and discussed cruelly.

The PTA isn't a place to be different with an ease.

Rosie O'Donnell--for instance. Pre-Butch haircut and post-- She got quite a outcry when she shaved one side of her head. Not saying it's right--but saying it's true.
---------------
They do look fake. Were they doing boob jobs back in Raquel's day?

its my understanding that parents of gay and lesbian people gave them milk when they were young, pretty sure the cause of their sexual orientation was the ingestion of milk. (oh yeah and 99% of convicted child molesters also drank milk)

Sofia, depends on where you live. In most of the places I've lived (Minneapolis, Madison), a fastidiously highlighted, made-up and high-heeled gal would get far more stares and disparaging comments (regardless of sexual orientation) than a woman with short hair, cargo pants, tank top and docs (regardles of sexual orientation.)

I dont think a persons sexual orientation defines their parenting skills. However having an open mind to the possibilities life throws at you could be a good parenting aid.
There are a great number of heterosexuals who should not be allowed to be parents, or do it badly....etc etc.

Ditto to Quinn/sozobe and Slappy on good parents being good parents.
Also ditto to soz on the high heels - a mother with high heels at the PTA around here would probably not be in the inner circle. Definitely a 'where you are' kind of thing, and this is a cargo pant/sneaker/t-shirt mom/dad kind of neighbourhood. Heels are, well, thought of as being sort of, well, not the best people.

so, are straight women with mullets and masculine facial characteristics discussed cruelly where you are? doesn't sound like a nice place.


Sofia, you're very right on - different is different in different places. We always need to remember that. I know that until a few years ago, I was of the mindset (pretty standard around here) that people with southern accents couldn't be very smart. I KNEW that wasn't right, but it was how I felt - they sounded different, and not very refined to me. I've come miles on that.

I accidently voted "yes." I shouldn't have voted at all...because the poll shouldn't read "Do lesbians..." but "Can lesbians..."

Damn marketing research class.

And how come everytime I see one of those rainbow stickers on a car driving by, if they're chicks, they're damn ugly? Can't for once I see two hotties making out? IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!?!?!

I think that lesbians may be either good or bad parents, just as straight couples are. Any generalization will be inaccurate. Therefore, the list of possible answers lacks an option: "It depends, every couple has features of its own".

That answer makes a lot of sense to me, steissd.
I voted based on the lesbian parents I've known - but qualified it in a similar way.

I won't even tell you what they say about Canadians!

But, seriously--

My boss said our former co-worker--overtly masculine faced Lesbian--"presented so badly" at interviews, she thought she'd have a hard time finding employment. This may have just mirrored boss's thoughts, but boss did control hiring and firing in a three county area.

Just bringing up some issues. Overtly Masculine Faced Lesbian had the wildest personality and I was a fan of hers. She is also Bi-Polar, which makes her a hoot!

This 'appearances' thingie is interesting to me. I read recently in the news that Lesbians had a much higher-than-normal incidence of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. A hormonal irritation, causing increased facial hair, aggressiveness, lack of (or very irregular periods...) and, of course, cysts on the ovaries, some--additional mannish qualities. I think we are so busy 'saying the right things' and reacting as if lesbians are no different--we don't want to allow ourselves to entertain the differences. I think we will find out more about hormonal and biological indicators for gayness as time goes on.

Disclaimer: I love gay peeps. I just think there is more to talk about than our usual blanket stamp of approval.

ehBeth-- Are you saying Canada is so wonderful, nobody is shunned or gossiped about? Or, is it just lesbians who are free from criticism? Maybe, its the small town/city thing. I tend to think where ever there are people, there is this type of behavior.

Sofia - what i'm saying, in part, is that different things are more or less accepted in different places.

After I posted earlier about the sandals vs heels thing, I took the dogs out for a walk. We have new neighbours. Recent immigrants from Croatia. Probably very nice, hard-working people. Pretty much have to be, to be able to afford a house in this neighbourhood - especially having been in Canada for less than 5 years. I stopped to speak to one of my immediate neighbours. He has told his mother not to speak to the women from Croatia, and has also told her not to go into their house, and not to allow them into his home. He doesn't trust them, because of the way they look (he told me this explicitly). I hadn't thought much about it, so tried to look discretely as I continued on my walk. I think the women look normal - but, they're wearing make-up and have 'done' hair. That is not the norm around here, especially on weekends.

We have quite a number of lesbian couples in our neighbourhood, and I have several in my circle of friends. If I posted their pix here in a mix of photos of my friends, I can guarantee you would not be able to identify the lesbians - outside of one who is making a political statement these days. They don't look any different than the other capri/cargo pant wearing women around here.

hmmmmmm, actually there is one difference I notice. The lesbians I know often have rings I covet, more so than other women.

and i've already admitted to not being a nice Canadian.

Yes, just "this type of behavior" stacks more against the high-heels types than the crew-cut types in some areas. I agree that people have some sort of herd/ clique instinct, but my own experience does not dovetail with yours in terms of who sticks out at a PTA meeting, is all. Not arguing that sticking out at a PTA meeting doesn't ever happen.

As an aside -- who is this "usual blanket stamp of approval" and "saying the right things" addressed to, if anyone? Do you really think me or ehBeth or Slappy are thinking one thing and then saying "oh dearie me, I wouldn't want to offend" and cunningly twisting our words to say something we don't mean?

ehBeth--
Yep. I see. The Lesbians are doing OK where you are, but the Croatians... That was sad. I guess there is a regional flavor to discrimination and such.

You are a good Canadian.

Refreshed and saw this from sozobe--As an aside -- who is this "usual blanket stamp of approval" and "saying the right things" addressed to, if anyone? Do you really think me or ehBeth or Slappy are thinking one thing and then saying "oh dearie me, I wouldn't want to offend" and cunningly twisting our words to say something we don't mean?
--------------
I meant the regal , all-inclusive 'we', with the 'blanket approval' and 'saying the right things'. The General Public, Us-un's, ... I almost didn't add what I did (about Lipstick Lesbians), because it's so easy to be mischaracterized if you don't choose your words carefully. Not long ago, I asked-- Do you think President Joe Lieberman's Jewishness may make the Palestinian/Israeli peace process more difficult? I was promptly given a Nazi cheer, and smeared as an anti-Semite. (Which is crazy, because I am so pro-Jew/Israel, I have to moniter myself for bias in their favor.)

I am also very pro-gay, and take a stand for them to have the same rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of good sex as the next person-- I just like to step from behind the safe rhetoric and discuss things that others don't seem to discuss because of how tricky the subject matter seems to be. I already felt people may be taking offense, and I was trying to explain meeself.

OK. Hmm. It's something I'm really curious about, what the people who cry "PeeCEE!" are thinking as to my motivations. 'Cause it happens fairly often.

What safe rhetoric are we talking about, here? That lesbians are probably about as likely to be good parents as straights? Do you disagree with that?

Note, I'm not saying that children of lesbians won't be given a hard time -- unfortunately, there is enough prejudice around that it's very possible that they'll experience some kind of difficulty from some quarters. (Is it PC for me to say "unfortunately"?) I'm arguing a narrower point (and ehBeth has given a great example) of how appearance-based prejudice may not be as general as you seem to think. Or, that it may even go in the opposite direction. That's separate from the parents being lesbian, in and of itself.

Soz--
Here is what I said.
First sentence, my opinion on the subject.
Second sentence, a joke that doesn't seem to have been funny to anyone other than me.
I went off on a goofy tangent, and then wanted to discuss this Polycystic Ovarian thingie. I'm over it, now, though.

I don't know why people may yell PC! at you. I generally yell PC! at people, when they assume I am trying to say something negative about a group of people, when that's not what I'm doing; or when they ascribe some greater weight to a group of words I use, than the words actually represent. I hate it when that happens.