Gay Men as Parents

Contemporary western societies are characterized by a growing diversification of family types. Families have changed dramatically over time due to economic, demographic, cultural, and political factors. The diversity of families is evident in the growth of nontraditional family structures. Within this challenging context, the phenomenon of homosexual parenting - a term that includes all those families in which at least one adult who defines himself/herself as homosexual is the parent of at least one child - has for some time been an emerging reality in many western societies. While in the past the children in homosexual families generally came from a previous heterosexual relationship, now the decision to become a parent is increasingly disconnected from heterosexuality, with possibilities having been opened up by assisted reproductive techniques but also by access to adoption. Within this context of change, the phenomenon of planned gay fatherhood has emerged: this is part of a broader process of social change that involves family life (Ruspini 2013).