Lesbian and gay parenting: babes in arms or babes in the woods?

This paper will examine developments in parenting by lesbians and gay men. It will draw on available research evidence to address fundamental questions posed about the impact of parenting by this particular group of parents on the children whom they raise. The paper will also explore motivation and routes to parenthood and the specific arrangements lesbians and gay men have evolved to make parenting a viable option in their lives. Dilemmas and challenges faced by lesbian and gay parents will be explored, and the implications for practice are considered.