The desire to parent in gay men was examined using 88 self-identified gay men who were not parents. There were 45 participants (51%) who indicated a desire to parent (Group I) and 43 participants (49%) who indicated a non-desire to parent (Group II). Group I showed more resolution on Erikson's stages of psychosocial development (as measured by the Modified Erikson Psychosocial Inventory), significantly differing on the stages of Autonomy, Initiative, Intimacy, Generativity, and Integrity. Significant differences between Group I and Group II were found in their stage of Gay Identity Formation (as measured by the Homosexual Identity Questionnaire), with Group I in the final stage (Identity Synthesis) and Group II in the fourth stage (Identity Acceptance). No differences were found between the two groups in retrospective reports of their parents' childraising behaviors (as measured by the Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire II), in field dependence/independence (as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test), and no interactions between remembrance of parents' childraising behaviors and field dependence/independence were found
Significant post hoc differences showed Group I being more likely to be open about their sexual orientation with their employer, more likely to have anticipated being fathers when they were children, more likely to have experienced change in their interest in raising a child, more likely to feel that their HIV status or general health status would affect their decision to raise a child, and they had more current involvement with children than Group II. Group II showed significantly more concern than Group I with the impact that parenting might have on their careers, social lives, relationship with a significant other, and felt a relationship was necessary if they were to raise a child. Group II's sexual orientation affected their feelings about raising children significantly more than Group I. Group II was also more likely to have experienced the death of their father
