World News Korner

New study finds that children raised by same sex couples are actually doing somewhat better than those raised in traditional families. Ooh, you know this is going to be controversial!

Courtesy of Think Progress:

It’s the rallying cry for opponents of same-sex marriage: “Every child deserves a mom or a dad.” But a major new study finds that kids raised by same-sex couples actually do a bit better “than the general population on measures of general health and family cohesion.”

The study, conducted in Australia by University of Melbourne researchers “surveyed 315 same-sex parents and 500 children.” The children in the study scored about six percent higher than Australian kids in the general population. The advantages held up “when controlling for a number sociodemographic factors such as parent education and household income.” The study was the largest of its kind in the world.

The lead researcher, Dr. Simon Crouch, noted that in same-sex couples parents have to “take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes.” According to Crouch, this leads to a “more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and well being.”

The findings were in line with “existing international research undertaken with smaller sample sizes.”

A group called Family Voice Australia discounts the study because it does not provide data on what happens once the children reach adulthood, but personally I think they are just desperate to undermine its findings.

I can tell you that in my job I see just about every possible type of family.

What I have noticed about same sex couples is that, as a rule, they are somewhat more attentive to the children, simply because they are more determined to get it right, and because they see the opportunity of being parents as a gift that they will not squander.

That is not to say that I have not seen some truly screwed up same sex families, just like I have in traditional families, but overall I would say that the percentage is smaller.

But any time you are being raised by loving parents, who put your needs ahead of their own, and sacrifice to give you a good life, you are going to have parents that you can be proud to call Mom and Dad, or Mom and Mom, or Dad and Dad, of whatever. After all the names don't matter, only the love.

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