The Christian right and homophobic discourse : a response to "evidence" that lesbian and gay parenting damages children.

Hicks, S

Abstract

This 'rapid response' piece, submitted under the 'Sexuality and the Church' theme, examines claims by Christian writers that lesbian and gay parenting is bad for children. The author analyses aspects of what he terms a 'Christian homophobic discourse' in order to demonstrate the problematic claim to neutrality made by these writers. In addition, the author shows how the Christian writers' view of research rests upon a series of positivist assumptions. Claims that research evidence shows children of lesbian or gay parents demonstrate gender or sexual identity confusion are disputed, and the author argues that the Christian writers present their own moral interpretations rather than the 'facts of the matter'. The author argues that the Christian writers construct a version of homosexuality as highly diseased and dangerous, before concluding that it is both epistemologically and morally misguided to see 'sexuality' as an object or variable which influences the development of children.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2003
• Deposit Date: Oct 2, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 2, 2009
• Journal: Sociological Research Online
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-7804
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 4
• Keywords: lesbian parenting, gay parenting, child development, Christianity, homophobia, Christian right, homophobic discourse
• Publisher URL: http://www.socresonline.org.uk/8/4/hicks.html