Last updated September 2009, The Globe and Mail found that out of the 45, 345 same-sex couples in Canada reported in an accurate census in 2006 that 9% of them had children under the age of 24 living with them. That would be about 4,085 children. Most of these same-sex families reside in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. I am sure that there has been many more same-sex couples and same-sex families since 2006 though so an accurate follow-up census would be appreciated.
A UCLA study shows 20% of American same-sex couples are raising children. It's estimated to be around 270,000 says wikipedia.com while another academic website estimates over 1 million children are being raised by same-sex couples or a same-sex single parent.
It's pretty interested to know there are so many children in same-sex families in Canada and the U.S. Some lesbian women I know are reluctant to start a family because they think they'll lack community support but these numbers aren't small. Knowing two or three lesbian or gay families can really help, socially. You don't have to feel like you're the only same-sex family picking up Ragu at the supermarket with all heterosexual eyes staring at you. I think knowing the numbers will help more lesbian and gay couples make the choice to have a family whether it's co-parenting, adopting or inseminating or raising children from their former opposite-sex relations!
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