This panel grew out of the controversy following the publication of Mark Regnerus’s article “How Different are the Adult Children of Same Sex Parents? Findings from the New Family Structures Study” in the journal Social Science Research. The article’s claims about these adult children have been debated, debunked and also relied upon for a variety of claims about same sex families and GLB rights in general. This panel brought to bear a distinctly sociological perspective on this research, addressing methods, claims making, media responses to the study as well as the very nature of this type of research.

• Are Children of Parents Who Had Same-Sex Relationships Disadvantaged? A Scientific Evaluation of the No-Differences Hypothesis
• The Curious Case of the 7 Foot, 8 Inch, 88 Pound Sone of a Gay Man: Reassessing the Effects of Same-Sex Parenting
• Preserving Family Diversity Across Contexts: A Response to the Response to Regnerus
• Queer Numbers: Social Science as Cultural Heterosexism
• Discussion