A Case Study of the Impact to the Gender Identity and Sexuality

of Children in Non-Conventional Parental Set-Up in the Philippines

A Research Paper
presented to
Prof. John Mark H. Villanueva
Mapua University

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in
Gender and Society
GED109

By: Myranda D. de Mesa

Sim M. Ferreras
Michael John Fernandez

January 20, 2020

 Abstract

Parents serve as one of the primary sources of information regarding sexuality and gender
to their children. Research throughout the past three decades concludes children of gay and
lesbian families does not have a difference from children raised in heterosexual-parented families
regarding the sexual, emotional, social, and cognitive development (Tasker, 2005). That is why
in this study, the researchers’ aim to find out the impact of non-conventional parental set-up to
the gender identity and sexuality of children in the Philippines. To answer our research questions,
study has been conducted in deductive approach which refers to using the research questions to
group the data then look for its similarities and differences to one another. The paper concludes
that there were data in the interview and document analysis that agreed and supported each other
that proves credible results.

Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Non-conventional parental settings, defined as involving gay and lesbian parents, have
become a growing norm in industrialized countries against traditional images of two-parent
heterosexual families with provider fathers and homemaker mothers (Leaper, 2014).These
parental set-up has become the focus of many studies world-wide examining the experiences of
both parents and children belonging to these families (Goldberg, Gartrell, & Gates, 2014). Some
research closely examined parenting of gay and bisexual fathers and its effects on the psycho-
social states of children and the quality of family life and relationships (Carneiro, Tasker, Salinas-
Quiroz, Leal, & Costa, 2017).

Conclusions in compiling different researches on non-conventional parenting spanning

decades, however, found out that there are little differences in the state of well-being of children
with different-sex parents (Manning, Fettro, & Lamidi, 2014). But these conclusions can be highly
dependent on different factors (Schofield, 2016) such as social competence and socio-economic
status of parents, with positive development resulting from positive parenting and the warmth,
regardless of structure (Parker, 2016). All of these developments explain a phenomenon in the
past several decades that have seen a widespread acceptance in openly discussing gender and
sexuality in the Philippine culture – gradually deviating from the strict norms deeming these as
taboo and obscene subjects.

Family is believed to exert the most powerful influence among others, such as peers and
environment, in the development of children’s concepts of gender, gender identity, and sexuality
(Golshiraizan, Dhillon, Maltz, Payne, & Rabow, 2015). Family is the basic and most important unit
of a Filipino’s life. Within a family, the values, beliefs, and roles are incorporated among the family
members, most especially throughout the course of the children’s lives since parents and family
form a child's first relationships. Children’s first teachers are their parents, at the same time, act
as role models in how to act and how to perceive their environment, which is the reason behind
every individual’s differing gender identity and sexual development. Sexual orientation is defined
as the sex to which an individual is sexually and romantically attracted to while gender identity is
defined as an individual’s inner sense of being male or female (Moleiro & Pinto, 2015). This paper
aims to examine the impact of these non-conventional parental set-up to the gender identity and
sexuality of adolescents through existing literatures. Even though there is a current insufficiency
of studies focused on the impact of non-conventional parental set-up to the gender identity and
sexuality of adolescents in the Philippines, the study will aim to correlate the result with the
Philippine context through deductive analysis.

Theoretical Framework

In this study, the researchers will use the concept of Psychodynamic Theory of Gender
Development that started from Viennese Psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, as the study’s content
analysis regarding The Impact to the Gender Identity and Sexuality of Children in Non-
Conventional Parental Set-Up.

A study conducted by Joan Berzoff (1996) entitled “Psychodynamic Theory and Gender”
explains Freud’s theory where it sees the role of the family, specifically the mother, as crucial in
shaping one’s gender identity. Freud postulated that during early childhood, girls are unaware of
their own biological part, which is their vagina and clitoris, and see their latter as small penises.
Furthermore, Freud theorized that girls turn away from their mother’s love when they discover
that men have penises that neither they nor their mothers have. Upon these discoveries regarding
anatomical differences between themselves and boys, they feel envy for what they do not have.
Due to this, they are disappointed in their mothers for not providing them a penis, girls then turn
towards their fathers, hoping and fantasizing that their father will provide them with a baby
(Berzoff, 1996).

In Freud’s perception, heterosexuality is a girl’s consolation for not having a male

reproductive organ. Unlike boys who renounce their oedipal desires for their mothers because of
fears of being castrated by their rivals, which is their own father. On the other hand, girls do not
fear castration because in line with Freud’s point of view, they are already castrated. Therefore,
girls can never fully resolve their oedipal issues that result to develop weaker superegos than
boys do. Furthermore, when girls do turn back to their mothers to identify with them, they identify
with that in which Freud thought was the essence of femininity, passivity, masochism, and
narcissism.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT
Varied researches on the impact to the gender identity
and sexuality of children in non-conventional parental
set-up and interview of an LGBT parent and their child.

PROCESS
Triangulation using document analysis and deductive
analysis for the interpretation of gathered data

OUTPUT
The Impact to the Gender Identity and Sexuality of Children
in Non-Conventional Parental Set-Up
Research Problem

The study is conducted to give information about A Case Study of the Impact to the
Gender Identity and Sexuality of Children in Non-Conventional Parental Set-Up. In this
study, the researchers sought to answer the following questions:

1. How do children in non-conventional parental set-up identify their gender identity and
sexuality?

2. How does non-conventional parental set-up affect and influence children’s gender identity
and sexuality?

3. Are there contextual similarities based from existing articles to the Philippine setting
regarding the impact to the gender identity and sexuality of children in non-conventional
parental set-up?
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

To further understand the present study, an analysis of the related literature as well as
studies is necessary. This study had made use of both local and foreign references that focuses
on the impact of non-conventional parental set-up to the gender identity and sexuality of selected
adolescent.

Gender and Sexuality

Concepts and definitions that refer to sexual orientation and gender identity are an
evolving field. This is due to as societies experience advancement, there is a correlating social
change in the perception of what defines gender and sexuality or sexual orientation. In the 1960’s,
the idea of gender identity was coined, describing one’s persistent inner sense of belonging to
either the male and female gender category (Money, 1994). However, gender identities are not
stagnant – they change slowly over time, reflecting the economic, political, and social realities of
the society. According to (Lev, 2004), gender identity is defined as a person’s self-concept of their
gender, regardless of their biological sex. A person’s gender may be evident in their
characteristics encompassing traits, appearances, interests, and behaviors.

Gender is also children’s one of the first social categories that they learn in today's
societies, thus, knowledge of existing gender stereotypes is evident from early childhood on and
into adulthood, people may construe their self-concepts in line with the gender stereotypes they
have internalized (e.g., Nosek et al., 2002; Steffens et al., 2010). In a formative study by Deaux
and Lewis (1984) on levels of masculinity and femininity that defines gender, they investigated
the relationship between gender and gender-related components such as behaviors, traits,
occupations, and physical characteristics. The researchers showed that these components were
interdependent, impacting one another as well as on a person’s perceived gender and sexual
orientation.

On the other hand, Sexual orientation is referred to as the sex of those to whom one is
romantically and sexually attracted on (American Psychological Association, 2012). At the present
time, the terms ‘lesbian’ and ‘gay’ are used to refer to people who experience attraction to
members of the same sex, and the term ‘bisexual’ describe people who experience attraction to
members of both sexes. It should be noted that, although these categories continue to be widely
used, sexual orientation and gender does not always appear in such definable categories and,
instead, occurs on a continuum. People perceived or described by others as lesbian, gay, or
bisexual may identify in other various ways (D’Augelli, 1994).

Gender Identity and Sexuality Development in Adolescence

Adolescence is not only a crucial period of biological change, but of psychological change
as well. Subsequent to early childhood, adolescence is second in the rate and extent of
developmental change. It is initiated through a series of hormonal changes that lead to sexual
maturation and the capacity to reproduce. Changing sex hormones affect many changes in social
interaction, sexual drive, attachment, and responses to stressors that, in turn, affects one’s
development of gender and sexual orientation. In Erik Erikson’s well-known theory of eight stages
of psychosocial development, teenagers face the challenge or task known as Identity vs. Role
Confusion. They work at developing a sense of self by testing roles, then integrating them to form
a single identity (Adolescent Health and Development Program, 2017).

According to Kar, Choudhury, & Singh (2015), the development of sexuality is an important
bio-psycho-social development, which takes a mature shape during adolescence, including one
person’s teenage years. During adolescence, an individual's thought, perception and response
gets colored sexually. Therefore, adolescents are deemed as effective respondents in this study
because the development of gender and sexuality takes an adult shape during this period.

Development of sexuality starts as early as in intrauterine life through conception, infancy,

childhood, adolescence, adulthood until death. The child acknowledges its gender in early
childhood as early as by 3 years for self-awareness about sexuality, gender role and gender
identity evolve during the childhood. While during adolescence, the physical growth, psychological
as well as cognitive development reaches its peak. Biological factors, psychological factors, as
well as social factors have equal importance in determining the development of sexuality in
adolescents.

Biological factors are the genetic factors and neuro-endocrinal factors, which determine
the biological sex and influence on the psychological sex. Additionally, social and environmental
factors, such as a society’s attitude and cultural perception, also play a vital role in the
development of adolescent sexuality (Kar, Choudhury, & Singh, 2015).

A research study by Golshirazian et.al. (2015) correlating the role of peers as a social
factor shaping gender identity and expression, concluding peers as also a primary influence on
gender construction among children and adolescents. Their research revealed the powerful effect
of peer groups on gender construction and reinforcing gender roles in a person. Further research
by Thorne (1993) has documented how schools can also inhibit gender stereotypical behavior
and attitudes in their students. This influence reinforces activities involved in play, academic
success, popularity, body image, and dress and continues throughout the life cycle.

The development of an adolescent occurs not in isolation, but rather in the background of
a family as well, significantly influencing the adolescent gender and sexuality. The attitude of the
parents toward sexuality, parenting style, peer relationship and cultural influences facilitates the
sexual learning, decides the sexual attitude, and in turn serves as a vital factor affecting the
gender identity and sexuality of their child (Kar, Choudhury, & Singh, 2015). As what Leaper
(2014) stated, parents provide children with their first lessons about gender. Possible ways that
parents might influence children’s gender development include role modeling and encouraging
different behaviors and activities in sons and daughters.

Parents serve as one of the primary sources of information regarding sexuality and gender
to their children, however, detailed investigations on the dynamics of child-rearing in families with
un-conventional parental set-up remain understudied. In this study, the researchers will focus on
the factors affecting the gender identity and sexuality of adolescents with unconventional parental
set-up, specifically, parents who identify themselves as not straight or otherwise, lesbian or gay.

Legal Matters on LGBTQ

In a Philippine context, to further understand the plight of Filipino parents that identify as
part of the LGBTQ, it is important to review their existing rights regarding child-rearing, as well as
the social stigma surrounding their right to child adoption. In a recent country report by UNDP,
USAID (2014), LGBT persons in the Philippines do not have the right to marry someone of the
same sex. Legally, adoption is allowed by a single LGBT person but not by two people who identify
as a domestic couple. The LGBT community sees this as something that should be improved on.
For the participants of the 2013 Philippine National LGBT Community Dialogue, there were two
umbrella topics that was considered when the family affairs of LGBT Filipinos are concerned:
LGBT persons as family members, including LGBT children and adult LGBT family members, and
most importantly, LGBT persons with family including LGBT partnerships and LGBT as parents.

Some sources have estimated that two to fourteen million children at the time were being
raised by same-sex couples (Crowl, Ahn, & Baker, 2008). With the rise of LGBT persons being
parents in the Philippines, opinions continue to be raised and stigma remains regarding LGBT
parent’s child rearing. Even the former President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino III, expressly
said that while he believes LGBT people should not be discriminated against, he does not support
same-sex marriage. That adults should be able to do as they want as long as they do not harm
others, however, he stressed that he has mixed feelings allowing LGBT people to adopt. Despite
the pronouncement of Aquino about his reservations in allowing LGBT people to adopt, the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the agency overseeing adoptions,
allows adoption by a single LGBT person, though not by two persons of the same sex who identify
as a domestic couple (R-Rights & PLCHW, 2011).

As noted by some of the participants of the national dialogue, there are approaches used
by people in same-sex relationships to legalize documents pertaining to their relationships, as
well as for children under their care. For instance, a woman in a lesbian relationship can adopt
the child of her partner. However, adoption removes the rights of one of the mothers over the
child, the mother who has not officially adopted the child.

Even though there is still existing stigma about LGBT relationships as supposedly
immoral, and political figures publicly expressed their opinions opposing LGBT as parents,
however, it does not automatically compel the courts to deprive LGBT parents of custody of a
child. In fact, in 2005, a husband petitioned the court for custody of his child with an estranged
wife he claimed was immoral because she had a lesbian relationship. In its decision, however,
the Supreme Court stated that sexual preference of his wife as being a lesbian, or any other
mother or father that has differing sexuality, does not alone prove parental neglect or
incompetence. This serves as a positive outlook on the plight of LGBT parents as well as those
who desire to adopt a child in the future.

Effects of Family Set-up on Gender Socialization

 Some scholars had argued that comparing families with gay or lesbian headed to
heterosexual-headed families continue to promote heterocentricism and homophobia in their
research as well as in the societal culture (Savin-Williams & Esterberg, 2000; Stacey & Biblarz,
2001). Additionally, it is important to remember that a myriad of scholarly works has claimed that
children of sexual minority parents do not differ to heterosexual parents regarding to the general
child-rearing.

Research throughout the past three decades concludes children of gay and lesbian
families does not have a difference from children raised in heterosexual-parented families
regarding the sexual, emotional, social, and cognitive development (Tasker, 2005). Even with the
concerns that the sexual orientation of LGB parents might negatively affect children in both
indirect and direct ways, a research by Goldberg, Gartrell, and Gates (2014) is consistent in
indicating that sexuality is not relevant to adults’ mental health or parenting capacities. Studies
that have researched on two-parent lesbian-, gay-, and heterosexual-parent families has put
forward that parent-child relationships in these different family set-ups are more similar than
different. Parents in these family structures have not been found to be significantly different, on
average, in parental warmth, emotional involvement, and quality of relationships with their children
(Bos & van Balen, 2010; Golombok et al., 2003; Golombok, Tasker, & Murray, 1997). In addition,
in a study by Carneiro et.al., (2017) comparing to heterosexual fathers, no significant differences
were found concerning gay fathers in their involvement in their children's activities, level of
intimacy, parenting problem solving, time allotted for their children, encouragement of children's
autonomy, manner in regards to problems of childrearing were handled, emotional involvement,
and extent of parental concern.

In contrast to this claim, Bresearchs (2010) also stressed the importance that differing
aspects of parental and family identity need to be discussed and studies in families with
unconventional parental set-up in ways that vary from traditional families. Researches and several
researchers dismiss the concept of comparing families that are gay or lesbian-headed to
heterosexual-headed families as promoting heterocentricism and homophobia. Supporting this
claim, Reczel et.al., (2017) states that a parent’s sexual orientation does bring a unique
environment for children of gay and lesbian parents in which children and parents alike must
create a sense of family culture and identity that may deviate from the traditional or societal norm.

Parents serve as one of the primary sources of information about the definition of sex and
sexuality to their children, both directly and indirectly taught. For gay and lesbian parents, sexual
orientation that deviates from the heterosexual normative may be more apparent within their
family structure and identity, and thus may be more apparent within parent-child communication.
As parents with the same sexual orientation, gay and lesbian parents may have variations in the
nature of sexual communication with their children. PCSC serves as one of the most integral parts
of establishing, understanding, and educating on sexuality (Sassnett, 2015).

Gay and lesbian parents share similarities of raising children while concurrently handling
common external pressures. As a result, children that live either with gay and lesbian parents
experience a unique family culture and identification that is different in heteronormative
households and must incorporate the sexual orientation of their parents into their interpretive
processes resulting in an additional layer of identity development that is not existing in
heterosexual households (Sassnet, 2015). Furthermore, the possibility of parental-child
communication as having an impact on the sexuality and gender identity of the child is feasible
because aside from comprehensive sexual education, parent-child communication about sex
provides parents the opportunity to share knowledge, moral beliefs, values, and desires related
to sexual behavior, interaction, and identification (Jerman & Constantine, 2010).

Gender Socialization

In the study of Sumontha, Patterson, and Farr (2017), it was noted that the children of
lesbian mothers often asked questions about sexual orientation. Every participant included in this
study commented unanimously that they reminded their children that sexual orientation is an
individual experience, not a trait learned or taught from their parents. Additionally, the parents
said they would be supportive and encouraging to their children regardless of their gender and
sexual orientation.

In response to this, Mitchell (1998) investigated lesbian mothers specifically in their

discussion with their children about sex and reproduction. In the same manner, Mitchell
discovered that many lesbian mothers were normalizing same-sex relationships and “sex play”
by adding same-sex roles to children’s book and film, promoting Pride Week, exhibiting their
wedding photos or images, or bringing children to picnics and activities funded by LGBT groups.
Introducing and normalizing same-sex partnerships with their children at a young age allowed the
Mitchell study participants to engage in conversations about homosexual partnerships and family
identity (Bos, Goldberg, Van Gelderen, & Gartrell, 2012; Crowl, Ahn, & Baker, 2008; Patterson,
2006; Wainright & Patterson, 2008).
 Gay and lesbian parents also reach out beyond their same-sex partners in terms of
educating and communicating with their children about sex communication. This manifested in
two large forms, reaching out to other people outside the immediate family and, as what has first
been mentioned, also with the use of literature and books to supplement as well as initiate parent-
child sex communication conversations. Gay and lesbian parents both keep their child’s questions
and experiences private as well as invites other trusted forms of communication about sex and
sexuality to reach their children from parents, friends, and family members (Reczek et.al., 2017).

In the Philippines, there’s also a prevalence in LGBT as single parents, resulting to

centered interest on whether the presence or absence of a same sex parent in the household of
LGB-parent families might impact gender-typed play and behavior to the degree that children
model the same sex parent’s behavior and sexuality or sexual preference. Because children who
grow up in same-sex parent or an LGBT as single parent, they typically lack either a male or
female parental figure, respectively, attention has been paid to whether these children
demonstrate gender-typed play, behaviors, and attitudes that differ from those of children with
different-sex parents. As pointed out by Tasker (2010), father-lessness might remove pressure
toward gender conformity that heterosexual fathers impose particularly on sons (Goldberg,
Gartrell, & Gates, 2014).

In a study by Bibarz and Stacey (2010) focusing on gay parents, it was determined that
gay couples may bring up less gender traditional children than heterosexual couples but be more
traditional than lesbian couples in their gender socialization of their children. Similarly, children
with lesbian parents perceived less parental pressure to conform to gender stereotypes,
perpetuate flexible gender-related, as well as be more tolerant of non-stereotypical gendered
behaviors (Bos & Sandfort, 2010; Fulcher, Sutfin, & Patterson, 2008; Sutfin et al., 2008).

According to Farr et al. (2010). Further evidence has highlighted that children of gay
fathers may have even better outcomes than those of heterosexual parents in some psychological
domains, namely less gender-stereotyped and less internalizing and externalizing behaviors
(Goldberg et al., 2012; Golombok et al., 2014; Miller et al., 2017). In fact, research suggests that
children’s gender development may vary between families headed by same-sex and other-sex
parents. It has been found, for example, that children of same-sex couples may be less gender
stereotyped in their play behavior as well as report less traditional attitudes regarding gender than
children of heterosexual couples (Sutfin, Fulcher, Bowles, & Patterson, 2008).
 Goldberg, Kashy, and Smith (2012) also concluded that children with lesbian, gay, and
heterosexual parents found that the behavior of boys and girls in lesbian- and gay-parent families
were less gender-stereotyped than the play behavior of boys and girls in heterosexual-parent
families, and the sons of lesbian mothers were less masculine in their play behavior than sons of
gay fathers and sons of heterosexual parents.

Even though studies showed that the parent’s gender and sexuality serve as an important
factor in a family set-up. According to a research conducted by Sumontha, Patterson and Farr
(2017), while both parents’ attitudes and behaviors are being associated with children’s gender
attitudes, the division between parents on childcare labor is also notably a better predictor of
children’s attitudes than the gender ideologies of the parent.

In this study, it was investigated whether children’s gender was associated with parents’
own attitudes or with how parents divided childcare responsibilities. On average, the study
concluded that children of lesbian and gay couples reported more liberal gender attitudes when
their parents equally divided childcare and when parents themselves have more flexible gender
attitudes. Parents’ division of childcare was more strongly associated with children’s gender
attitudes compared with the parents’ gender attitudes. Moreover, these differences may also be
caused by the types of examples parents set for their children, rather than the attitudes parents
have about gender (Sumontha, Patterson, & Farr, 2017).

The study of Parker (2016) concurred with this, stating that this result can be explained
not in terms of the couples' sexuality, but in terms of the parent’s approaches to parenting, with
these approaches being influenced by certain personal ideas and opinions of gender conformity
and nonconformity that are held by parents, which are imposed upon children by birth (Parker,
2016).

Sexuality

Children’s Psychosocial Adjustment Two reports examined young people’s sexual identity
(Miller, 1979; Bailey et al., 1995). According to these fathers, between 5 and 11% of their sons
and daughters identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, thus at a rate within general population
estimates of sexual minority identification. Barrett and Tasker (2001), however, highlighted three
areas of concern that gay fathers reported having about the feelings and experiences of their
children, including difficulty in keeping a secret, being mocked or harassed by other children and
feeling different. A further study has found a strong correlation between hegemonic masculinity
and homophobia on sons of gay fathers (Bucher, 2014). Those who were more masculine
seemed to be less inclined to accept the sexual identity of their parents, and felt uncomfortable
telling others about the homosexuality of their father. For Lick et al. (2012), Positive psychological
progress was made for adult sons and daughters of gay fathers. Additionally, the well-being of
adult sons and daughters has been shown to be associated with a positive social environment,
even when they identify themselves as heterosexual.

Gay or lesbian parents were more likely to support an open attitude about gender and
sexuality than heterosexual parents, which may explain the lower level of normative gender
development among children who live with gay or lesbian parents. Fulcher et al. (2008)
interpreted this distinction as meaning "... that sexual orientation can predict parental attitudes
which, in effect, can predict flexibility in children's own attitudes" (p. 339) while Gartrell et al. (2011)
wrote "The offspring of lesbian and gay parents could be more open to homoerotic
experimentation and same-sex sexuality" (p. 1205) (Schofield, 2016).

Many studies have shown contradictory findings about the orientation or sexual preference
of the children. With respect to the sexual orientation of gay or bisexual fathers ' children,
percentages of those identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual were within the general population
estimates (Bailey et al., 1995). In fact, the vast majority of children raised in non-traditional families
grow up to identify themselves as heterosexuals despite having increased opportunities to
consider different sexual identities (Tasker, 2005). Sumontha, Farr, and Patterson, (2017) also
argue that the sexual orientation of parents has been correlated with the gender behaviors of
adolescents but not with the identity of their offspring.
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the methodology of the study will be discussed in detail that includes the
Research Design, Respondents, Setting, Data Analysis, and the analysis technique to be utilized
to come up to a proper and credible conclusion.

Research Design

Descriptive method of research is an evident investigation with conceptive and precise

understandings of deliverance. The descriptive research confirms defined speculations that allude
to the current circumstances or said issue keeping in mind the end goal to plainly comprehend it.
Thus, a descriptive is concerned with describing the nature of condition and the level of detail to
current circumstance. The accentuation is describing rather than judging or interpreting.

This type of research method will be used in the study about the impact to the gender
identity and sexuality of children in non-conventional parental set-up. The study will mainly focus
on the perception and factors that bring up the knowledge about how non-conventional parental
set-up impact the gender identity and sexuality of adolescents.

Setting

The varied data in studies that the researchers have gathered was mostly conducted in
other countries besides the Philippines, due to existing studies being insufficient and outdated in
the Philippines. Hence, the study will take a case study approach where the researchers will
interview chosen respondents in the Philippines to gather data and information that will help
answer the research questions. For the gathered related literature, the researchers will used them
as a basis for the implication of the acquired data collected from the chosen respondents.
Participants and Sampling Technique

In this study, the respondents will be derived from every study that the researchers will
gather. The respondents that was used in these studies is a family comprised of gay father and
heterosexual mother. In order to thoroughly achieve the desired result in the studies, adolescent/s
or child/children of the chosen family are inquired as being a respondent as well.

With the appropriate respondents from the researches that will be gathered, the
researchers will be able to identify the dependent and independent variables in the study. This
also ensures the credibility of information or data that the researchers will gather, resulting to an
acceptable conclusion to the research.

Instrumentation / Data Gathering Techniques (Pacheck hahaha)

In this study, the researchers used interview approach through online messages to gather
needed data and information that will help answer the research questions. The questions provided
for the respondents were in a form of open-ended questions to allow the respondents to express
their answers freely that include more information, feelings, and understanding of the subject.

Data Analysis

Deductive approach refers to using the research questions to group the data then look for
its similarities and differences to one another. It is used when the time and resources are limited
and when the research is a smaller component of a larger study. This approach will be used in
this research to develop a hypothesis based on an existing theory and then designing a research
strategy for the said hypothesis to test it.

Qualitative data analysis searches to describe general statements about relationships and
themes present on the data. Document analysis is the procedure used for the categorization of
data for the purpose of summarization and classification of it. It is a form of qualitative research
in which documents are interpreted by the researcher to give meaning around an assessment
topic. It involves a series of reading, coding, reducing, and interpreting the data.

After gathering, familiarizing, and reading multiple articles and publications, the
researchers will begin to organize the data and identify the framework being used in the research.
The framework will structure, label, and define the data gathered. The framework that will be used
is explanatory and is guided by the research question. The framework to be utilized is the
Psychodynamic Theory of Gender Development. This study is conducting for a problem that has
not been studied more clearly and intended to establish priorities, develop a more precise
definition and improve the final research.

Ethical Considerations

In this study, the researchers hereby adhered to the following ethical principles in
accordance to what Bryman and Bell (2007) has provided:

1. The respondents of researchers should not suffer any harm in terms of their safety and
privacy.

2. Respect for the dignity of the respondents of researchers should be given priority.

3. Before the analysis, full approval should be received from the respondents.

4. It is necessary to ensure the protection of the privacy of the respondents of researchers.

5. Sufficient level of confidentiality of the acquired research data should be ensured.

6. Anonymity must be maintained for individuals involved in the study.

7. Some ambiguity or distortion of the research's goals and targets must be prevented.

8. Every form of study correspondence should be performed with honesty and transparency.

9. Any kind of misleading information, as well as skewed interpretation of the primary data
results, must be prevented.

Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 The development of an adolescent occurs not in isolation, but rather in the background

of a family as well, significantly influencing the adolescent gender and sexuality. The attitude of

the parents toward sexuality, parenting style, peer relationship and cultural influences facilitates

the sexual learning, decides the sexual attitude, and in turn serves as a vital factor affecting the

gender identity and sexuality of their child (Kar, Choudhury, & Singh, 2015).

Parents in these family structures have not been found to be significantly different, on

average, in parental warmth, emotional involvement, and quality of relationships with their

children (Bos & van Balen, 2010; Golombok et al., 2003; Golombok, Tasker, & Murray, 1997).

PCSC serves as one of the most integral parts of establishing, understanding, and

educating on sexuality (Sassnett, 2015).

Gay and lesbian parents share similarities of raising children while concurrently handling

common external pressures. As a result, children that live either with gay and lesbian parents

experience a unique family culture and identification that is different in heteronormative

households and must incorporate the sexual orientation of their parents into their interpretive

processes resulting in an additional layer of identity development that is not existing in

heterosexual households (Sassnet, 2015).

As pointed out by Tasker (2010), father-lessness might remove pressure toward gender

conformity that heterosexual fathers impose particularly on sons (Goldberg, Gartrell, & Gates,

2014).

According to Farr et al. (2010). Further evidence has highlighted that children of gay
fathers may have even better outcomes than those of heterosexual parents in some psychological
domains, namely less gender-stereotyped and less internalizing and externalizing behaviors
(Goldberg et al., 2012b; Golombok et al., 2014; Miller et al., 2017). In fact, research suggests that
children’s gender development may vary between families headed by same-sex and other-sex
parents. It has been found, for example, that children of same-sex couples may be less gender
stereotyped in their play behavior as well as report less traditional attitudes regarding gender than
children of heterosexual couples (Sutfin, Fulcher, Bowles, & Patterson, 2008).

Goldberg, Kashy, and Smith (2012) also concluded that children with lesbian, gay, and

heterosexual parents found that the behavior of boys and girls in lesbian- and gay-parent

families were less gender-stereotyped than the play behavior of boys and girls in heterosexual-

parent families.

In this study, it was investigated whether children’s gender was associated with parents’

own attitudes or with how parents divided childcare responsibilities. Moreover, these differences

may also be caused by the types of examples parents set for their children, rather than the

attitudes parents have about gender (Sumontha, Patterson, & Farr, 2017).

The study of Parker (2016) concurred with this, stating that this result can be explained
not in terms of the couples' sexuality, but in terms of the parent’s approaches to parenting, with
these approaches being influenced by certain personal ideas and opinions of gender conformity
and nonconformity that are held by parents, which are imposed upon children by birth (Parker,
2016).

However, Barrett and Tasker (2001) pointed out three areas of concern that gay fathers

reported having about their children’s feelings and experiences, namely tension in keeping a

secret, being teased or bullied by other children, and feeling different.

Gay or lesbian parents were more likely than heterosexual parents to show support for an
open attitude about gender and sexuality, which may explain the lower level of normative gender
development among children living with gay or lesbian parents. Fulcher et al. (2008) interpreted
this difference to mean “…that sexual orientation can predict parental attitudes which in turn may
predict flexibility in children’s own attitudes” (p. 339) whereas Gartrell et al. (2011) wrote “The
offspring of lesbian and gay parents might be more open to homoerotic exploration and same-
sex orientation” (p. 1205) (Schofield, 2016).
 Sumontha, Farr, and Patterson, (2017) also claims that parents’ sexual orientation was
associated with children’s gender attitudes, but not with their children’s sexuality.

Cases 1 : Parent-Child Sex and Gender Communication

The parent is not open in discussing about sex and gender as well as the child.

1.) Child’s Understanding of Gender and sexuality

P: questions #5, #11, #10 C: #6, #7

2.) Parent-Child Relationship

P: #8 C: #3

- Opposed to a part in rrl and in our theoretical framework where stated that will

sons more likely be close to their mother

3.) Parent-Child Gender Socialization

P: #12, #1 C: #11 (tugma sa rrl)

4.) Child’s Sexuality

C: #9

5.) P: #10 C: #8

6.) P: #11 , #12, C: #8

7.)

 PARENT (FATHER)
1.) How old are you?
- 40
2.) Where do you live?
- I’m a resident in Pasong Camachile 1, General Trias, Cavite
3.) Are you single, married, or in a relationship?
- I’m married for 15 years
4.) Do you have a job? If so, do you asses yourself as financially stable?
- I’m currently working as a real estate agent, but I also have a business which is
located at my hometown, Nasugbu Batangas. I consider myself as financially stable
since in my 40 years of existence, I've worked a lot and invested my earnings in
business.
5.) When did you start to become open about your gender and sexual orientation?
- I think, since I was born but I am not that open regarding about my true gender
identity. In other term, I was a closeted gay because I grew up in a family that forbids
it. Moreover, I was also afraid to tell it to my parents, most specifically to my father,
because he once belonged in the military and I don’t want to be beaten up because
of my sexuality.
6.) Are you discriminated because of your gender and sexuality?
- Yes, and it can’t be avoided. Even though I am not that open about it, there is still
some inevitable instances that some people can sense my true sexuality just from
the way I act or behave.
7.) How did your family, friends, child, and in general the people around you, accept your
gender and sexual orientation?
- Actually, they accept me for whoever I am right now. For me, I believe that being a
man is not just by having manly expressions or actions, or any attributes that a man
“must” have, but it is all about how you raise your own family and how effective you
are in terms of communicating with them, on how you treat them with respect
because for me, if you respect other people around you, they will respect you as well
as a person. In other words, if you show respect through actions and words, you will
get respected as well and sometimes by doing so continuously, they no longer notice
that you are different to them.
8.) Do you openly express your gender identity and sexual orientation to your child? If not,
why?
- No, because it is still too young for him to understand this type of issue or matters.
He is only 10 years old. But we are open to one another regarding about other things
to the point where we no longer hold secret to one another because I really express
myself with who I am.
9.) What are the questions often asked by your child regarding topics about gender, gender
identity, sex, and sexual orientation?
- So far, I have not experienced any instances where my son suddenly asks me about
gender, gender identity, sex, nor sexual orientation. Like out-of-the-box kind of
questions since I am not that open about my gender identity.
10.) How do you explain these questions to your child? Do you prefer to talk to your
child about it or use other means to orient the topic to your child such as through books,
his/her peers, media etc.?
- Sometimes, if my son asked some questions about sex and gender, I change the
subject to avoid him being interested about this certain topic because he is still too
 young for him to know about these things. Plus, the other reason why I avoid this
topic because I do not want him to think that this kind of topic are normal. So as
much as possible I avoid talking about this kind of matter.
11.) What gender norms or traditions, beliefs, and roles you do and do not want to
inculcate in your child?
- I do not want to inculcate in my child about having attraction to someone with the
same sex as him because it is not normal in the first place. Although, it is already
common these days and it can’t be avoided because we are born differently with one
another.
12.) Do you normalize or allow your child to have differing gender expressions or do
you stick with traditional Filipino gender roles or gender socialization in children?
- I do not normalize or stick with traditional Filipino gender roles. I never forbid
whatever his gender expression is because as a parent, I want my son to grow up
whatever he wants to be as a person. But I still set limitations and boundaries, but
not in everything. I always teach him to be a better person and to be a God-fearing
one because nothing is far more important for us, parents, than seeing our children
to grow up as a good person. Because even though others might look at us
differently but as long as we do not cause harm on other people and do good things
for the family, I think, we are not that evil in God’s eyes.
13.) If your child have a differing gender and sexual orientation from the traditional,
will openly accept it?
- Yes, with all my heart, because he is my son. If my family were able to accept me for
who I am, what more if it is my own son? How will other people accept him if his own
parents don’t accept him. Although, as much as possible, I rather hope for my son
not to end up like me, because I know what it feels like to be bullied and be treated
differently by other. I know that what I am is not normal, but at the end of the day, I
do believe that as long you are not causing harm on others, and you get to help your
family and others as well, I believe that being different from them is not a
shortcoming for you not to continue on with life.

 CHILD
1.) How old are you?
- I am 10 years old.
2.) Where do you live?
- I live in blk 6 lot 17 camachile subd pasacam 1 general trais cavite
3.) Do you live with your father and mother?
- I’m currently in 5th grade at school, im close to my parents, especially to my daddy.
5.) What are the common questions that you have asked to your father regarding gender,
gender roles, relationships?
- I’ll never ask him anything about that matter because I think im too young to ask
6.) How did he answer these questions? do you believe that this explanations and beliefs
affected or made an impact on your views or beliefs about it?
- I don’t think so.
7.) What are your views and beliefs about gender, gender roles, and sexuality?
- I think it’s quite different than usual or other persons.
8.) What do you identify your gender identity as? What are your hobbies and likes that can be
identified as common likes within your gender.
- I’m just a little boy who is always playing mobile games and basketball.
9.) Do you have a crush? If so, can you describe his or her looks?
- Yes, I had a crush on my classmate when I was in grade 4. She was cute and nice to me.
10.) What are your crush’s ideal characteristics?
- kind and honest.
11.) What is your stand about the LGBT?
- I think being a lesbian or gay is both nice and okay, as long as they are friendly to us and not
cause harm to others, we treat them with respect and be friendly with them too.
 Chapter 5

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 Exemplary Proficient Needs Practice
20 15 10
The information is
in logical, Student presents Sequence of
interesting information in information is
sequence
Organization which audience can
logical sequence difficult to follow.
follow. Uses an
which audience Lacks beginning,
engaging beginning
can middle,
and/or
thoughtful ending.
follow. Uses an
Moves smoothly and end. Does not
appropriate
from one idea to move smoothly
beginning or
the next
 ending. Moves
from one point to
all of the time. smoothly from
another
one idea to the
next some of the
time.
Exemplary Proficient Needs Practice
20 15 10
Effectively uses eye
contact. Speaks Maintains eye Some eye contact, but
clearly, effectively contact. not
and
confidently using Speaks clearly
maintained.
suitable and uses suitable
volume and pace.
volume and Speaks clearly and
Fully engages the
Language pace. unclearly in
audience.
use and
Delivery Dresses Takes steps to
different portions.
appropriately, engage the
Selects rich and Occasionally engages
audience.
varied words for audience.
context and uses Dresses Dresses
correct appropriately. inappropriately.
Selects words qSelects words
grammar.
appropriate for inappropriate for
context and uses context; uses incorrect
correct grammar
grammar.
Exemplary Proficient Needs Practice
20 15 10
Clearly defines the Defines the topic Does not clearly define
topic or or thesis. the topic
thesis and its Supports the
or thesis.
significance. thesis with
Supports the thesis Does not support the
evidence.
and key thesis with
Presents
Content findings with an
evidence of evidence.
analysis of
research
relevant and Presents little or no
with sources.
accurate evidence evidence of
Provides evidence Provides some
valid research.
of extensive evidence of
and valid research problem solving Shows little evidence
with multiple and learning of problem
solving and learning
and varied sources stretch.
stretch.
 Provides evidence Combines Shows little evidence
of complex existing ideas. of the
problem solving and
combination of ideas
learning
stretch.
Combines and
evaluates existing
ideas to form new
insights.
Exemplary Proficient Needs Practice
20 15 10
Demonstrates Demonstrates
Demonstrates
extensive some knowledge
incomplete
knowledge of
the topic by
of the topic by knowledge of the topic
Question and responding
responding by
Answer accurately
and
confidently, responding
appropriately to
precisely and inaccurately and
questions and
appropriately to all inappropriately to
feedback.
audience questions and
questions and
feedback.
feedback.
Exemplary Proficient Needs Practice
20 15 10
Entire presentation Entire
Timeliness Entire presentation
was within 15 presentation
was exceeded 10
minutes of exceeded 5
minutes of minutes of allotted
allotted time.
allotted time. time.
TOTAL SCORE