January 16, 2012
GAY OR STRAIGHT — IN THE PARENTING WORLD, WHICH IS BETTER?
The Huffington Post posted a wonderful article today about myths surrounding same-sex parenting. The article, “Gay parents better than straight? What research says” speaks to many of the discriminatory opinions generated by those who oppose same-sex parenting — especially as it all relates to the adoption world.
“On Jan. 6, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told a New Hampshire audience that children are better off with a father in prison than being raised in a home with lesbian parents and no father at all. And last Monday (Jan. 9), Pope Benedict called gay marriage a threat “to the future of humanity itself,” citing the need for children to have heterosexual homes,” journalist Stephanie Pappas notes.
Other than homophobia, what are these fears based on? For research is increasingly finding that all of these assertions relating the dangers of same-sex parenting are not only lacking facts, but are just downright untrue.
Like adoptive parents, studies show that that gay parents “tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents,” said Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who researches gay and lesbian parenting. Furthermore, they are often the couples adopting the unwanted older children languishing in foster homes and orphanages. Their experiences facing intolerance and prejudice lead them to be less discriminatory towards the children they are willing to adopt, providing much needed homes and love to children who would may not leave foster or orphanage care otherwise.
Not only is there no documented evidence of same-sex parenting being damaging to children, but the article notes that children reared in same-sex households are, in fact, more tolerant than other children their age. “Children of gay parents also reported feeling less stymied by gender stereotypes than they would have been if raised in straight households. That’s likely because gays and lesbians tend to have more egalitarian relationships than straight couples,” Goldberg said.” They’re also less wedded to rigid gender stereotypes themselves.”
These things all sound pretty good to us, and the article provides even more information about the benefits of children being raised in same-sex households.
So what’s all the hype about?
Fear?
Change?
Intolerance?
As many of us have had the day off today in honor of a man who stood up for the civil rights of an entire class of people, it’s interesting to reflect on the struggles of our country’s black citizens, and what they endured to be recognized and respected as equal human beings. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, and fight, still live strongly today. Here’s hoping they are able to lend themselves to our nation’s next cause in achieving equal civil rights for all.
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” — MLK Jr.
