A study of 43 couples suggests that heterosexual parents could learn a great deal from their lesbian counterparts.
Cambridge University researcher Dr. Gill Dunne found that lesbian parents did a better job of sharing household chores and bread-earning responsibilities than did heterosexual couples, leaving both parents more time to spend with their children. Lesbian parents were also more likely than heterosexual parents to regard their breadwinning and caretaking responsibilities as equally important.
Dr. Dunne commented, “We found lesbian couples split their time at work so [that] effectively, they bring in half an income each. This allows them to devote more time to the children than the conventional model.” Dunne said of the lesbian parents in her study, “Their children are enormously wanted, very loved and born into an environment where both parents have been brought up to provide a stable household.”
Funding for Dr. Dunne’s study was provided by the Economic and Social Research Council.
