Report: Same-sex marriage helps kids
The Subtance
Larry Buhl, PlanetOut Network
published Thursday, July 6, 2006
Children of same-sex couples benefit when their parents are able to marry or form civil unions, according to a report commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-Being of Children," published Wednesday in the July issue of Pediatrics, concluded that civil marriage can strengthen families and help foster financial and legal security, psychosocial stability, and a greater sense of societal acceptance and support for kids.
The report underscores a large body of research showing that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents, and that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment.
The report also concluded that the rights, benefits, and protections of civil marriage offer important support for children raised by same-sex couples. Among the findings:
The legal status of civil marriage promotes healthy families by conferring a powerful set of rights, benefits, and protections that cannot be obtained by other means.
Civil marriage can help foster financial and legal security, psychosocial stability, and an augmented sense of societal acceptance and support.
Legal recognition of a spouse can increase the ability of adult couples fosters a nurturing and secure environment for their children.
Same-gender couples are denied the right to civil marriage in every state except Massachusetts and the right to civil union except in Connecticut and Vermont.
The nation's largest organization for pediatricians knows what it's talking about: Marriage is good for all families," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a prepared statement.
"Every single credible child-welfare organization has said that sexual orientation has nothing to do with the ability to be a good parent. It's having a loving home that matters,"
Solmonese said.
The report comes at a time when anti-gay conservatives are vocal in opposing same-sex marriage, civil unions, and even same-sex adoptions. Although anti-gay forces have made strides in opposing marriage equality, they have been stopped by public opinion that is solidly in favor of letting gay men and lesbians adopt.
Florida has banned all gay men and lesbians from adopting since 1977, although they can be foster parents. Mississippi bans adoption by gay couples but not gay singles, and Utah prohibits all unmarried people from adopting, which amounts to a de facto ban on gay adoptions. Legislation introduced earlier this year that would ban gay adoption in Ohio was tabled in the state legislature due to its divisiveness.
A survey conducted in Missouri, Georgia and Ohio by Peter D. Hart Research Associates this year found that the majority of voters in each state oppose a blanket ban on adoptions by gay men and lesbians.
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2006/07/06/6
Children of same-sex couples benefit when their parents are able to marry or form civil unions, according to a report commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics.Report: Same-sex marriage helps kids
"The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-Being of Children," published Wednesday in the July issue of Pediatrics, concluded that civil marriage can strengthen families and help foster financial and legal security, psychosocial stability, and a greater sense of societal acceptance and support for kids.
The report underscores a large body of research showing that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents, and that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment.
Larry Buhl, PlanetOut Network
published Thursday, July 6, 2006
Children of same-sex couples benefit when their parents are able to marry or form civil unions, according to a report commissioned by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-Being of Children," published Wednesday in the July issue of Pediatrics, concluded that civil marriage can strengthen families and help foster financial and legal security, psychosocial stability, and a greater sense of societal acceptance and support for kids.
The report underscores a large body of research showing that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents, and that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment.
The report also concluded that the rights, benefits, and protections of civil marriage offer important support for children raised by same-sex couples. Among the findings:
The legal status of civil marriage promotes healthy families by conferring a powerful set of rights, benefits, and protections that cannot be obtained by other means.
Civil marriage can help foster financial and legal security, psychosocial stability, and an augmented sense of societal acceptance and support.
Legal recognition of a spouse can increase the ability of adult couples fosters a nurturing and secure environment for their children.
Same-gender couples are denied the right to civil marriage in every state except Massachusetts and the right to civil union except in Connecticut and Vermont.
The nation's largest organization for pediatricians knows what it's talking about: Marriage is good for all families," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a prepared statement.
"Every single credible child-welfare organization has said that sexual orientation has nothing to do with the ability to be a good parent. It's having a loving home that matters,"
Solmonese said.
The report comes at a time when anti-gay conservatives are vocal in opposing same-sex marriage, civil unions, and even same-sex adoptions. Although anti-gay forces have made strides in opposing marriage equality, they have been stopped by public opinion that is solidly in favor of letting gay men and lesbians adopt.
Florida has banned all gay men and lesbians from adopting since 1977, although they can be foster parents. Mississippi bans adoption by gay couples but not gay singles, and Utah prohibits all unmarried people from adopting, which amounts to a de facto ban on gay adoptions. Legislation introduced earlier this year that would ban gay adoption in Ohio was tabled in the state legislature due to its divisiveness.
A survey conducted in Missouri, Georgia and Ohio by Peter D. Hart Research Associates this year found that the majority of voters in each state oppose a blanket ban on adoptions by gay men and lesbians.
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2006/07/06/6
posted by JimG at 9:18 PM
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