Teachers have an important role to play to help combat the stigma that still exists around children raised in same-sex families, according to a social well-being expert.

“The biggest worry about same-sex parenting has to do with stigma and bullying of children, and we should do our utmost to counteract that,” said Prof. Angela Abela, head of the Department of Family Studies within the University of Malta’s Faculty for Social Well-being.

“Sectors of the public are not always prepared for change, and it is extremely important to think of active inclusive strategies to help these children.”

She was speaking during a seminar titled ‘Perspectives of rainbow families’, organised by human rights NGO Aditus, the Malta Gay Rights Movement and the Faculty for Social Well-being.

I long for the day when we look at sexual orientation as a matter of fact

Prof. Abela, who is a clinical psychologist, said schools played a crucial role in educating child-ren and their parents and teaching them the value of tolerance.

Teachers could, for example, speak about different types of families rather than just focus on the mother-father-child model.

It was also important to listen to children. Through her profession she had spoken to child-ren of gay parents who wished they had more control over how freely their parents spoke about their family situation.

Prof. Abela was sharing some thoughts following a presentation by Prof. Susan Golombok, the director of the Centre for Family Research within the University of Cambridge, UK.

Prof. Golombok gave an overview of 35 years of international research on whether lesbian mothers and gay fathers were fit parents. Research found no differences in psychological adjustment and gender development of children raised by lesbian or gay parents.

There were no differences in the number of children who grew up to be heterosexual, although girls raised by lesbian mothers were more likely to explore same-sex relationships, even though they were not necessarily lesbian.

However, she said, children brought up by gay parents were more exposed to stigmatisation about their families, she said.

This did not necessarily mean these children were bullied. Some felt frustrated and upset that they had to constantly explain their family situation. It also upset them when they heard their friends use the word “gay” as a pejorative term.

Prof. Golombok said it helped when such children were in contact with other children with same-sex parents so that they did not feel “different”.

It also helped when parents were willing to listen to children about how open to be about their sexuality.

Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli said this was an important year for the recognition of family rights with the introduction of civil unions.

“I long for the day when we look at sexual orientation as a matter of fact, like the colour in our eyes ... we will discuss families in all of their diversity accordingly,” she said.

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