For JGBLTFS: Special Issue: Lesbian and Gay Parenting: New Directions. Research on Lesbian and Gay Parenting: Retrospect and Prospect

Lesbian and gay parenting is a fertile research field with many important new developments in content and methodology over the last decade. Lesbian and gay parenting occurs in a wide diversity of family constellations, yet the cultural context of lesbian and gay parenting is a neglected topic. The relative depth of knowledge of lesbian parenting is contrasted with the lack of research on gay parenting across different routes to parenthood. Lesbian and gay parenting researchers have employed a wide variety of methodological designs in their investigations and the field has benefited from the employment of quantitative and qualitative techniques to investigate developmental outcomes for children and increase understanding of the variety of experiences of lesbian and gay parenthood. This review highlights significant developments in the field and suggests new directions. Key words: child development, lesbian mothers, gay fathers, parenting