A new report on the experiences of children raised by same-sex couples in Ireland has been launched by by 
pro-gay marriage organisation, Marriage Equality.
The report was launched as part of a wider push to legalise adoption by same-sex couples and the total number of participants in the study was 11.
Called ‘Voices of Children’, [1] the report is a survey of the experience of children growing up in Ireland with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents. A one-day conference was held this week to launch the report. The conference was addressed by Fergus Finlay of Barnardos and Geoffrey Shannon of the Law Society, amongst others.
Of 11 participants in the survey, seven were female and four were male. They were aged between 18 and 24 years. There were two sisters and two brothers; five of the women had spent several summers together at Women’s Camp in Ireland; and two of the women knew each other from school.
Six were born into heterosexual families. Four were born by sperm donation and have no contact with their fathers.
It says that some “home situations included living within nuclear families, or between the nuclear families of their mothers and fathers, and living within strong networks of extended family members including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.”
In only one case had the participant’s mother and partner lived together for over 20 years.
The report focuses on “the contemporary, lived reality of children of LGBT parents in Ireland.” However, the report admits that, “All participants were reared by lesbian mothers.” No children of male homosexuals, bisexuals or transgendered people were surveyed.
Involved in compiling the report were Iris Elliott a doctoral student of “women human rights activism in Ireland (sic.)” in the Global Women’s Studies Programme at the National University of Ireland, Galway; and Dr Celia Keenaghan, a sociologist who works with the HSE Child and Family Social Services. Dr. Keenaghan is also a visiting Research Fellow with the UNESCO Chair Programme with the Child and Family Research Centre National University of Ireland Galway.
The authors say they hope the report acts as a “catalytic political and transformative endeavour” in order to influence legislative decisions:
The conference was funded by the European Union Progress Fund, the Equality Authority, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the British Council. The report itself was funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
The report recommends that the Irish government should “establish legal recognition of children in LGBT families, through appropriate amendment of adoption and guardianship laws, and by the introduction of Civil Marriage rights for gay and lesbian parents.”