New Studies Challenge Established Views About Development of [kids] Raised by Gay or Lesbian Parents

New Studies Challenge Established Views About Development of Children Raised by Gay or Lesbian Parents

There were many ways to describe and title this article (same as thread title) but they chose THAT.

Why?.... to get more hits, I bet.

Despite considerable research showing that children of same-sex parents fare just as well as children with heterosexual parents, two papers -- a review of existing studies and a new study -- published June 10 in Elsevier's Social Science Research, find insufficient data to draw any definitive conclusions.

Problem is... these scientists proved that science, taken for "populist" or "politically expedient" message delivery is a guaranteed way to fail at getting to the point of the study:

The review by Dr. Loren Marks from Louisiana State University finds that much of the science that forms the basis for the highly regarded 2005 official brief on same-sex parenting by the American Psychological Association (APA) does not stand up to scrutiny.

Bottom line is... common sense prevails... the biology of the matter dictates that it is less stressful to be raised by a mother and a father.....

But they add....

In a final comment on Regnerus' research, Pennsylvania State University, sociologist and professor Paul Amato points out, "If growing up with gay and lesbian parents were catastrophic for children, even studies based on small convenience samples would have shown this by now.

If differences exist between children with gay/lesbian and heterosexual parents, they are likely to be small or moderate in magnitude-perhaps comparable to those revealed in the research literature on children and divorce."

So why reinforce the "divisive" aspect of the subject matter?.... because the editor works for the owner.... that's why.

reply to post by Maxmars


One question:

Is it less stressful because outside sources provide undue mocking, ridicule, hatred, and bigotry, or is the concept of being raised by two same sex couples inherently stress producing?

reply to post by TheOneElectric


It's less stressful because of the cultural and societal norms.... that's all. As usual we can only blame ourselves for most of our problems....

reply to post by Maxmars


I said it before and I'll say it again.

It's never been about WHO raises your children, but always about HOW you raised your children. If they were provided love, opportunity, proper limits and an environment where they can grow successfullly, then you did a good job, regardless of your sex or sexual preference.

My kids are my own personal proof of that.

As for these studies, I always go back and look at who did them and who funded them, there you'll normally find why the results came out the way they did.

~Tenth

Can anyone say PROPOGANDA? Not to the OP, but to the idea that children "to" gay parents do as well??

I think it has been fairly proven that children to divorced parents have a lot different issues than children to families whom mom and dad are both always there.........

So I guess we get back to a bunch of shrinks, who have seemed to have been pretty successful screwing our youth up are now advocating that children who have gay parents are just peachy keen in this world???

WOW! I am really so flabergasted about this that I have to go and sit in the corner and take a time out!

Before I get flamed, I just want to say that I have no issue whatsoever with gay people being legally binded, in the thing we call marraige.

by the way folks; for those of you who might be so inclined... I offer this for discussion... not because I want to make a particular "statement" about the issue.

I was most sensitive to the way they decided to entitle the article... it seemed ... wrong to me.

reply to post by Maxmars


When I click on the link, it takes me to a "start a thread" page. I want to read the article.

Here it is> www.sciencedaily.com...

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Oooops! Thanks for that!

reply to post by Maxmars


Very interesting article Maxmars:

According to his findings, children of mothers who have had same-sex relationships were significantly different as young adults on 25 of the 40 (63%) outcome measures, compared with those who spent their entire childhood with both their married, biological parents. For example, they reported significantly lower levels of income, more receipt of public welfare, lower levels of employment, poorer mental and physical health, poorer relationship quality with current partner, and higher levels of smoking and criminality.

I'd put this down to social pressures and scrutiny on same sex parents that children witness and experience. Obviously society still in general treat same sex couples as those on the fringes of the norm, there is still little tolerance out there. I can't imagine what some of these kids have to go through at school or even when they are out with their same sexed parents, the stares, the comments, it's bound to leave a mark on a child for years to come. I'm sure if same sex couples were treated fairly and with respect, you would not find much a varience in the outcome of these children....

I'd be curious if they did a study on interracial parents and the outcome of those kids, because I'm sure the finds would be the same. It's all attributed to societies treatment and how it affects those children growing up....

I saw a great documentary about parenting by same sex parents and it was very interesting. Whatever the situation is, the child ALWAYS know he comes from a woman and a man, even if she/he has never seen a mother/father in her/his life. BUT, the children always said living in such an environment is cool and normal for them.

It might well be wrong; there might be something wrong with the research, or there might be money involved...but there might not be.

Don't necessarily dismiss it out of hand, purely because it doesn't say what you want to hear. This is an issue that I want to see more research on, personally; and I'm not saying that because I definitely think that being raised by same sex parents is bad for children. I'm saying it because I honestly don't know, one way or the other. Gay marriage and parenting is going to take us into completely unknown territory.

reply to post by Southern Guardian


I agree with your points. I also wonder about children raised in other "unconventional" families. I mean, if every child could have a loving father who provided well and a nurturing mother that could be at home with the children, that would be ideal, wouldn't it? But how many children are raised under those conditions? VERY few.

Some are raised by grandma, a single father, a single mother, the nanny, twice-divorced and three different "dads", the aunt and uncle, the older sister, or in and out of foster care or even in an orphanage. But society doesn't worry about them. Society isn't trying to make laws that parents can't divorce or grandma can't raise the kids... They don't care if a nanny is raising the kids or the kids have their own keys and are making their own dinner because mom's not home from work till late... It's clearly legal for a kid to have three different dads and watch as mom tries to find a fourth... but let two people of the same gender who want a child so bad, they have to go through all sorts of red tape to adopt, try to raise a child and these judgmental busy-bodies are all over it like flies on meat, crying, "What about the children"????

Where is their concern for children raised by single people?

As regards the title of the article. It's accurate, but sensational. We should all know by now that a title in the MSM rarely reflects the facts of the story. We always need to go deeper. The study may challenge the established views, but it doesn't really find any new conclusions. Kids raised by gay parents are just as messed up and just as stable as other kids. The gender of the parent has nothing to do with their parenting abilities.

Deleted by myself out of pride!

reply to post by Maxmars


Been doing a little research on Dr. Loren Marks... It's clear why he wants to disavow the 2005 study.

Areas of Interest: Religious Faith, Parenting, and Marriage
...
Funded Research Grants
2008 Marks, L. D. Religion and strong, happy, enduring African-American
marriages. Office of Research and Economic Development Faculty Travel
Grant, $750.
2006 Marks, L. D. National Study of Faith and Families. LSU Council on
Research, $750.
2005 Marks, L. D. When Faith Comes Home: A Qualitative Study of 150
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Families. Society for the Scientific Study
of Religion, Jack Shand Research Award, $3,000.

Source

I'm just saying... he sounds a bit religion-biased.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Yeah... it's the same old "science" as politically expedient message paradigm.... it seems whenever this kind of stuff gets published and hashed out.. inevitably years later they are scrambling and backtracking to disavow any politically "inexpedient" effects that may have cropped up in the interim.

Thanks.