Although sixteen states have legalized same-sex marriage, the idea of ​​same-sex parenting remains a controversial topic in America. As American families continue to differ from traditional heterosexual families headed by a husband and wife, developmental differences between children raised by two lesbians or two gay men are attracting interest from the public and developmental psychologists. Perhaps children raised by two mothers or two fathers will exhibit very different gender behaviors and identify differently with their gender than children raised by heterosexual parents. By observing children raised by different parental groups, possible differences, and resulting advantages, in gender identity and sex roles can be discerned. Gender roles and gender identity are comparable measures of how an individual perceives the gender they belong to and how they fit into it. gender. Gender roles are observable or qualitative measures or behaviors that reflect the broad gender stereotypes conveyed by society. Gender identity is an internal reflection of how a person independently perceives their own gender (Berk, 2006). Some common gender stereotypes associated with masculine traits include playing more aggressively, excelling in school subjects related to math and science, and leading groups. On the feminine side of the stereotypes, girls are thought to play in pairs, have calmer behavior, and express more emotion than boys (Berk, 2006). In general, children move away from a rigid, strict construct of gender and begin to adopt a more fluid model as they age and develop cognitively and socially. Until preschool age, most children adhere so closely to their gender that they refuse to break stereotypical gender rules, such as whether boys wear dresses or girls......at middle of paper ......coby (Ed.), The development of sex differences (pp. 82-173). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=_jumAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=A+cognitive-developmental+analysis+of+children's+sex-role+concepts+and+attitudes.+In&source=bl&ots=6Levine , LE and Munsch, J. (2011). Theories of development. In M. Masson and L. Gleason (Eds.), Child Development (4th ed., pp. 33-34). London, England: Sage. Levine, L.E. and Munsch, J. (2011). Emotional development and attachment. In M. Masson and L. Gleason (Eds.), Child Development (4th ed., pp. 339-345). London, England: Sage. Sutfin, EL, Fulcher, M., Bowles, RP, & Patterson, CJ (2008). How lesbian and heterosexual parents transmit their gender attitudes to their children: The role of gender-specific environments. Sex Roles, 58(7-8), 501-513. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9368-0