Children of Gay Fathers, 1985

The purpose of this research was to discover how children cope with having a gay father. Participants were 19 children of gay fathers, living in Iowa City, IA, Oklahoma City, OK, or San Francisco, CA. Of the children, 13 were female and 6 were male. The children's ages ranged from 14 to 35. Data were collected through in-depth, unstructured interviews. Questions asked included how the children found out about their fathers' homosexuality, how they feel about it, whom they have told and why, whom they haven't told and why, what other people's reactions have been, whether their relationship with their father is any different since they found out that he is gay, whether their father acts any differently toward them now that his homosexuality is out in the open, and the advantages and disadvantages of having a gay father. The Murray Research Archive holds copies of the 19 interview transcripts.