Well-conducted studies of gays and lesbians in the general population indicate that they exhibit the same levels of psychological adjustment as heterosexuals. That is, gays and lesbians are no more likely than heterosexuals to have emotional problems or other psychological disturbances. Research also suggests that children who grow up in a homosexual household exhibit the same adjustment as children who grow up in a heterosexual home. These children are no more likely to have psychological disturbances or to be homosexual themselves. Regardless, homosexual men and lesbian women are at high risk for losing custody battles because of widely held myths about such households as unhealthy environments for children.
Many people report feeling uncomfortable with the idea of homosexual and lesbian relations.
Interestingly, these same people often report that they value the freedom of privacy generally, and also believe in the rights of consenting adults to engage in various sexual practices that they themselves would not choose to try. It can be challenging to integrate internalized prejudicial attitudes with the more accepting and open-minded belief system many people develop with age, education, and maturity. Consider your reaction to first learning about heterosexual activities. Most children have a disgusted reaction to hearing about putting one's tongue in another person's mouth or inserting one's penis into another's vagina. Over time and with increased exposure to the idea of heterosexual sex, however, most of us resolve our initial disgusted reaction and come to enjoy such activities.