Are Children with Same Sex Parents at a Disadvantage?

Recommend (16) Comments (11)

The fact is, having straight parents – a mom and a dad – is no guarantee that a child will have a safe, secure home or grow up to be a productive, well-adjusted individual. I’ve been a pediatrician for 16 years, and can tell you first hand that same- and opposite-gender parents react in exactly the same way to stings, scrapes, shots and all the other joys and heartaches of childhood – as do their kids. Being a great (or not so great) parent has nothing to do with someone’s sexual orientation. Conscientious and nurturing adults, whether they are men or women, heterosexual or homosexual, can be excellent parents.

I’ve found that it’s not what families look like – but the love they share – that makes the most difference.

But my personal experience is also backed up by hard evidence. Almost three decades of peer reviewed scientific research has uncovered no difference between the children of same-gender parents and the children of opposite-gender parents in health and development. Indeed, every major organization devoted to child health and welfare in this country agrees that the children of same-gender couples are just as likely to be healthy and well-adjusted as the children of opposite-gender couples. The American Psychological Association found that “There is no scientific evidence that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation: Lesbian and gay parents are as likely as heterosexual parents to provide supportive and healthy environments for their children.”  Period.

Pediatricians recognize that the children of our nation are being raised in many types of families. Reality is that children are raised by married parents, unmarried parents, single parents, extended family members, foster parents, and the list goes on. Regardless of exactly who makes up the family, however, we realize that it is the strength and security that these families offer that gives children the their best chance for a healthy and successful future. The family is the principal caregiver and the center of strength and support for our children. This is true whether the children are being raised in a family headed by straight, gay or lesbian adults. No same gender couple conceives a child accidentally. Every one of the hundreds of thousands of children in the United States being raised by their same gender parents was wanted by their parents and welcomed into the family.

What is the one essential ingredient that gives children their best chance for a healthy future? The security of a stable family setting. The really essential part of every family is the love they provide.