Voices of Children Conference (6 of 13): The Children of Same-Sex Parents

Voices of Children Conference (6 of 13): The Children of Same-Sex Parents: What do we know about their outcomes and experiences? Prof. Sheila Greene, Director Children's Research Centre, Trinity College, Dublin. Professor Sheila Greene discusses the research carried out to date internationally in relation to the outcomes for children with gay and lesbian parents. She advises that although the research shows very good outcomes for children of same sex parents, more research is needed because the arguments around the quality of the data in social science research still continue. She also advocates the need for young people to participate in matters of concern to them with a goal to supporting children's participation and advocacy.

Voices of Children was organised by Marriage Equality as the first conference held in Ireland to look specifically at the issues surrounding the situation of children growing up in same sex parented families in Ireland. The Conference was held on 8th September 2010 in the Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. A range of experts presented papers and research from Ireland and other European member states. It was at this conference that the Voices of Children report, on a workshop that took place in December 2009 with 11 young adults with lesbian parents living in Ireland, was formally launched by Ciaran Cuffe TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Sustainable Transport, Horticulture, Planning and Heritage, who had worked closely on the Civil Partnership Bill in his former role.

Conference context
Marriage Equality, with the support of the European Union Progress Fund, the Equality Authority, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the British Council hosted the first conference of its kind to look at the experiences of young people growing up in Ireland with lesbian and gay parents.

Conference aims
The conference aimed to be a space for the exchange of information between experts working in the field of children's rights and young people's first hand experiences. The conference also aimed to create an opportunity for dialogue between those working directly with children with LGBT parents, LGBT parents themselves, adult children with LGBT parents, service providers and those working in the areas of equality, law and human rights.

About Professor Sheila Greene
Sheila Greene is the Director of the Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin, and the holder of the AIB Chair of Childhood Research. Her publications include The psychological development of girls and women: Rethinking change in time (Routledge, 2003) and Researching children's experience: Approaches and methods, which she co-edited with Dr Diane Hogan (Sage, 2005). She is the Co-Director of the National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland, Growing Up in Ireland, which is being conducted on behalf of the Irish government by the Economic and Social Research Institute and Trinity College Dublin.

About Marriage Equality (www.marriagequality.ie)
Marriage equality is about giving equal rights to marriage for lesbian and gay couples on the basis that lesbian and gay people and heterosexual people are equal in the law. Marriage Equality grew out of 'The KAL Initiative' to support the case of Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan to have their Canadian marriage recognised in Ireland. Marriage Equality argues that lesbians and gay men should have the right to marry, in a civil registry office, and gain the same legal rights associated with marriage for themselves, their families and their children.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Marriage Equality
• MarriagEquality
• Voices of Children
• Lesbian
• Gay
• Same-sex
• Families
• Children
• Ireland
• Conference
• Research
• Iris Elliot
• Civil Partnership Act 2010
• Grainne Healy
• Sheila Greene
• Fergus Finlay
• CEO Barnardos
• Geoffrey Shannon
• Conor Pendergrast
• Christine Irwin Murphy
• Believe in Equality
• Helen Statham
• Dr. Machteld Vonk
• Niall Crowley
• Moninne Griffith