Portraits in Human Sexuality: Sexual Orientation Part of the Series : Portraits in Human Sexuality

Homosexual Orientation (06:40)
A homosexual couple raising two young children discusses their relationship, parenting, and the histories of their sexual orientation. Geoffrey remembers feeling "different" in first grade, whereas Mark did not realize his sexual preference until he was in college.

Family Acceptance of Gay Couples (04:19)
Lisa and Allison met in college, have now been together 13 years, and are raising two young children. Lisa's family supports her fully after she comes out to them, whereas Allison's family reacted with negativity until after her children were born.

Homosexual Identity (03:25)
Both Lisa and Allison are fortunate in having supportive work environments. In their struggle to fill out their identities, they test what the language offers and arrive at "queer" in referring to themselves.

Creation of a Homosexual Family (04:00)
Two gay couples, Lisa and Allison, and Mark and Jeff, co-parent their biological children in a shared living arrangement. Jeff is the biological parent of both children; they discuss the insemination process and how they answer questions from curious people.

Co-Parenting in a Homosexual Family (06:13)
The biological children of Lisa, Allison, and Jeff have names for each adult, such as "mama," "mimi," and "papa." Sharing a duplex allows the four "parents" to co-parent in a loving environment.

HIV and AIDS (03:01)
AIDS is the ultimate manifestation of HIV infections that may have been present for ten years or more. In the U.S., there is a rise once again in new HIV cases, the increase appearing in young, gay men, and in minority women.

HIV Transmission and HIV Myths (07:19)
Contraction of HIV comes through sharing intravenous needles that contain blood products, through engaging in sexual activities, and by infected mothers passing the infection to their babies during birth. Many people have unfounded fears about the transmission of HIV.