A Safe and Loving Environment

It is more and more common for lesbian woman or gay men to start having a family of their own. There are many options for lesbian women wanting to become parents. Although adoption or fostering may be an option for some people, many have a strong desire to have their own biological child. Options for having your own child include donor insemination and co-parenting arrangements with heterosexual or gay men either who are single or in a couple themselves.

Research proves that lesbian couples who decide to have children, raise their children in a safe and loving environment. Good parenting regardless of sexuality requires consistency and security.

Co-ParentMatch.com started researching within the area of co-parenting and donor conception in 2006, with few options out there for gay and lesbian couples or singles, Co- ParentMatch.com was formed. Same-sex parenting is becoming increasingly popular for gay and lesbian couples and singles. Many gay and lesbian couples feel that marriage and children is a natural progression in their relationship and the hurdles that were previously set to make this challenging have now been removed making it far more accessible and excepting for same-sex couples to raise a family.

Children Growing up with Same-Sex Parents

Research from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston in 2005 suggested that children growing up in same-sex parental households  do not necessarily have differences in self-esteem, gender identity, or emotional problems from children growing up in heterosexual parent homes.

Between 1 million and 6 million children in the U.S. are being reared by committed lesbian or gay couples. Children being raised by same-sex parents were either born to a heterosexual couple, adopted, or conceived through artificial insemination.

All the studies demonstrate that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way.

Another study in the US found of 37 children from 27 divorced lesbian mothers and a similar number of children of heterosexual mothers found no differences in behavior, adjustment, gender identity, and peer relationships could be found.

Children seem to adjust better when there is a more equal division of labor in the home and the parental relationship with the children had a higher rating, she says.

A study by Perrin showed that children whose parents are lesbian have no more problems than the rest of the children and actually may be more tolerant of differences. There was suggestive evidence that there were more stresses due to the gender of same-sex parents, but the children also reported greater well-being, more nurturing, and a greater tolerance for differences.

What are the options for a gay man to become a parent?

1) Donate sperm as a known donor. If you want to be known to your child as a father or uncle figure then becoming a known sperm donor is a great option. Often this role is not a full on as a co-parent and it would be for you and your match to decide upon your level of involvement from simply being known to your child to having parental access.

2) Donate sperm as an anonymous donor. If you are certain that you do not want to be known to your child or involved in the child’s life then becoming an anonymous donor could be the right choice for you.

3) Co-parent with a likeminded female. If you want to be involved in your child’s upbringing and there for important milestones in your child’s life then co-parenting with someone who shares the same values and agrees to your terms is a great way to become a parent.

4) Adopt. Adoption is a way of providing a new family for a child when living with their own family is not possible. For many children, adoption may be their only hope of experiencing secure family life. All parental rights and responsibilities for the child are transferred to the new Adoptive Family.

5) Surrogacy. An advantage to using Surrogacy as an option is that it allows Gay Couples to legally become parents, and allows you and/or your partner to create a baby which is in part or whole biologically yours. You can experience the excitement of parenthood with your surrogate mother from the start of conception through to the birth itself!, sharing all of those emotions and attachment from the start of your journey. 

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