Planned Research Projects

Psychological Impact of Marriage Exclusion on Lesbian and Gay Couples:  Many states are passing laws that  deny same-sex couples the right to marry, and some are settling on civil unions or domestic partnerships as if they were “marriage equivalents.”  The latter “solutions” raise the question as to whether marriage alternatives are emotionally equivalent to marriage or carry some measure of psychological disadvantage for same-sex couples.  The proposed study will use a large sample interview methodology to examine the psychological experiences that lesbian and gay couples are undergoing as their exclusion from marriage becomes codified in states with “defense of marriage acts”; in states where civil unions or domestic partnerships are being used as marriage equivalents (Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, California); and in states where same-sex marriages initially were performed then nullified by the courts (California). This would be the first study to directly examine the mental health impact of denial of marriage rights on same-sex couples. 

Evaluation of LGBT Curriculum in Los Angeles Unified School District:  The Rockway Institute in cooperation with the former director of “Project 10” in the L.A. Unified School District is planning to evaluate the impact of the District’s new LGBT curriculum taught within its health science classes given to all  9th graders.  To our knowledge, this is the first and only district-wide public school initiative to include LGBT content in courses for all students. The evaluation project will examine changes in students’ attitudes and knowledge about LGBT people.  It also will investigate changes in a school’s climate of tolerance, as experienced by self-identified LGBT and heterosexual students who take the health science classes.  From a policy perspective, results of this study may inform other school districts and state departments of education nationwide about the possible effects of inclusion of LGBT content in the high school curriculum.

Longitudinal Study of Children Raised by Gay Male Parents:  This study will investigate the long-range  functioning of gay male parents and their children conceived via surrogacy or adopted shortly after birth, in comparison to matched groups of heterosexual families.  The study will have strong quantitative and qualitative components.  This would be the first and only major quantitative, longitudinal study of family interaction and developmental outcomes of children raised in gay male parent households from birth or shortly after birth.  Ideally this study will be extended over a 20-30 year period so that the short-term, mid-range, and long-term effects of being raised by gay male parents can be examined.  The results of this study are likely to have widespread legal and policy applications in child custody conflicts where lesbian/gay parenting rights are being contested as well as in state legislatures and appeals courts using parenting concerns in their decisions about same-sex marriage rights (as happened in the recent New York court of appeals decision).

LGBT Young Leaders’ Resiliency Project:  This project will involve selecting a group of "high functioning" LGBT youth (as defined by their effectively taking leadership positions as openly LGBT individuals during their high school or college years and meeting other academic and mental health criteria).  Using a combination of structured interviews and standardized measures of mental health and coping, we will attempt to understand how these youths successfully manage antigay stigma, including their instrumental and emotional coping strategies and utilization of social supports (family, friends, mentors) to buffer minority stress.