The most recent news to hit the interwebs concerns differences between hetero and gay couples with respect to gender preference in their adoptive children. The main finding was pretty in line with what I would have expected:
Dr. Goldberg found that many couples, irrespective of sexuality, had no preference for the gender of their adopted child. They were simply grateful to finally have a child and gender was insignificant in the context of their larger goal of becoming parents.
However, there were also some interesting discrepancies:
The most common reason for preferring boys among heterosexual women was an inexplicable desire for a son, whereas heterosexual men's preference for a son reflected patriarchal norms, including keeping the family name going and gender identity considerations i.e. their own masculine interests. When explaining their preference for a boy, lesbians most frequently mentioned their own atypical gender identities, including the fact that their own interests tended to be more masculine and tomboyish, whereas gay men most often highlighted that they felt more confident about their ability to raise and socialize boys.
Très cool. The idea of adoption grows on my mind every day, and a lot of the things said in the paragraph above resonate with me. Little girls are adorable, but I would be at a complete loss with regards to how to raise one...
'Course, I doubt I'll have to make any decisions soon. ;) You can find the article here.
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