Family Backgrounds of Gay Fathers: A Descriptive Study

This study assessed data on the early family backgrounds of gay fathers with particular emphasis on parent-son relationships. Questionnaire responses from 30 gay fathers, derived from a larger nationwide study of 285 homosexual men from dignity chapters in the Northeastern, Midwestern, Southern, Southwestern, and Western United States were analyzed using chi-squared test of independence. Respondents reported growing up in intact homes where heterosexual relationships were modeled for them, pleasant memories existed, and marital discord was not commonplace. Although relationships with mothers were perceived to be slightly better than those with fathers, both maternal and paternal parent-child relationships were described more as adequate and positive than inadequate or negative.