Irland’s family isn’t typical. His father is gay.

But to Irland, his father’s sexual orientation doesn’t matter, he said.

“He still helps me out, still performs all the functions of a dad,” Irland said.

“I honestly don’t care who he’s attracted to — that’s his business, not mine.”

Less than 1 percent of all American households with children have gay parents, according to statistics from The New York Times.

As president of the Lansing Association for Human Rights, or LAHR, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, advocacy group, Penny Gardner has seen a wide variety of families — from gay couples with children out of previous marriages to fathers becoming mothers as transgender individuals.

Sometimes these families aren’t recognized in American culture, which can be hard on their children, said Deanna Hurlbert, the assistant director of and liaison for the LBGT Resource Center.

“It communicates to children that their families are not valid,” she said. “(It) indicates that there’s something wrong with their families, and by extension, with them.”

Although many communities in Michigan — such as Lansing — for the most part are supportive of LBGT families, their treatment varies by area, Gardner said.

Growing up in a rural town, not everyone in Irland’s community was supportive of his father, who divorced his wife and came out when Irland was 6 years old.

It wasn’t until later that Irland understood “how cruel middle schoolers can be.”

“If people had a problem, … I didn’t care what they thought,” Irland said.

Although Dennis Hall, a gay father from Lansing and member of the LAHR, hasn’t faced hostility from the community as a gay parent, he knows it can be controversial.

“There are people out there who are very much against that, (who) think children should have a mommy and a daddy,” Hall said.

In reality, a parent’s sexual orientation matters little in their children’s upbringing, Hall said.

“Kids are pretty adaptive,” he said. “They just want somebody to love them.”

For Irland, growing up with his father taught him an important lesson about understanding diversity, he said.

“I really appreciate it — being brought up in the kind of environment with him being open about differences,” Irland said. “We have a pretty good father-son relationship.”

On Father’s Day, Hall ate brunch with his oldest son, his grandchildren and his partner.

Although it took time for his children to come to terms with their father’s sexuality, they’ve moved on to become a loving family, Hall said.

“They’re great kids,” he said. “I love them, and I know they love me.”