Favorable research on same -sex parenting (long)

[bluedawg12]

In light of the recent Arkansas law, Proposed Initiative Act No. 1, as mentioned in the NYT article by Dan Savage the concern arises that this will spread to include same sex adoptive parents and possibly even biological parents.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/opinion/12savage.html...

That state’s Proposed Initiative Act No. 1, approved by nearly 57 percent of voters last week, bans people who are “cohabitating outside a valid marriage” from serving as foster parents or adopting children. While the measure bans both gay and straight members of cohabitating couples as foster or adoptive parents, the Arkansas Family Council wrote it expressly to thwart “the gay agenda.” Right now, there are 3,700 other children across Arkansas in state custody; 1,000 of them are available for adoption. The overwhelming majority of these children have been abused, neglected or abandoned by their heterosexual parents.

A glimpse of the pseudo science from a rw anti- gay parenting advocate, is noteworthy only in that it does reveal their arguments. I happened to hear this guy Glen Stanton a few years ago on CSPAN and he is a slick talker and full of BS. He is the author of an anti-gay parenting book:

Glenn T. Stanton is the Senior Research Analyst for Marriage and Sexuality at Focus on the Family, as well as the author of Why Marriage Matters: Reasons to Believe in Marriage in Postmodern Society.

This is a link to an article he wrote, again, a glimpse into their arguments.

http://sbclife.net/Articles/2002/06/Sla7.asp

Below are some examples found after a quick search of some peer reviewed journal literature abstracts and they speak favorably of same -sex parenting and outcomes for children.

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;109/2/339

POLICY STATEMENT

PEDIATRICS Vol. 109 No. 2 February 2002, pp. 339-340

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
Coparent or Second-Parent Adoption by Same-Sex Parents
Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health

ABSTRACT

Children who are born to or adopted by 1 member of a same-sex couple deserve the security of 2 legally recognized parents. Therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics supports legislative and legal efforts to provide the possibility of adoption of the child by the second parent or coparent in these families.

Children deserve to know that their relationships with both of their parents are stable and legally recognized. This applies to all children, whether their parents are of the same or opposite sex. The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that a considerable body of professional literature provides evidence that children with parents who are homosexual can have the same advantages and the same expectations for health, adjustment, and development as can children whose parents are heterosexual.1–9 When 2 adults participate in parenting a child, they and the child deserve the serenity that comes with legal recognition.

Children born or adopted into families headed by partners who are of the same sex usually have only 1 biologic or adoptive legal parent. The other partner in a parental role is called the "coparent" or "second parent." Because these families and children need the permanence and security that are provided by having 2 fully sanctioned and legally defined parents, the Academy supports the legal adoption of children by coparents or second parents. Denying legal parent status through adoption to coparents or second parents prevents these children from enjoying the psychologic and legal security that comes from having 2 willing, capable, and loving parents.

Pediatrics. 2002 Feb;109(2):341-4. Links
Technical report: coparent or second-parent adoption by same-sex parents.Perrin EC; Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.

Technical report: coparent or second-parent adoption by same-sex parents.Perrin EC; Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.
A growing body of scientific literature demonstrates that children who grow up with 1 or 2 gay and/or lesbian parents fare as well in emotional, cognitive, social, and sexual functioning as do children whose parents are heterosexual. Children's optimal development seems to be influenced more by the nature of the relationships and interactions within the family unit than by the particular structural form it takes.

Child Dev. 2004 Nov-Dec;75(6):1886-98.
Psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic relationships of adolescents with same-sex parents.Wainright JL, Russell ST, Patterson CJ.
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. opposite-sex parents); family and relationship variables; and the psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic attractions and behaviors of adolescents. Participants included 44 12- to 18-year-old adolescents parented by same-sex couples and 44 same-aged adolescents parented by opposite-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. Normative analyses indicated that, on measures of psychosocial adjustment and school outcomes, adolescents were functioning well, and their adjustment was not generally associated with family type. Assessments of romantic relationships and sexual behavior were not associated with family type. Regardless of family type, adolescents whose parents described closer relationships with them reported better school adjustment.

J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2005 Jun;26(3):224-40.
Lesbian mothers, gay fathers, and their children: a review.Tasker F.
School of Psychology, Birkbeck College University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK. [e-mail]

There is a variety of families headed by a lesbian or gay male parent or same-sex couple. Findings from research suggest that children with lesbian or gay parents are comparable with children with heterosexual parents on key psychosocial developmental outcomes. In many ways, children of lesbian or gay parents have similar experiences of family life compared with children in heterosexual families. Some special considerations apply to the context of lesbian and gay parenting: variation in family forms, children's awareness of lesbian and gay relationships, heterosexism, and homophobia. These issues have important implications for managing clinical work with children of lesbian mothers or gay fathers.

Fam Psychol. 2006 Sep;20(3):526-30.
Delinquency, victimization, and substance use among adolescents with female same-sex parents.Wainright JL, Patterson CJ.
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.

The question of whether parental sexual orientation has an impact on human development has important implications for psychological theories and for legal policy. This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. different-sex parents), family and relationship variables, substance use, delinquency, and victimization of adolescents. Participants included 44 adolescents living with female same-sex couples and 44 adolescents living with different-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. Analyses indicated that adolescents were functioning well and that their adjustment was not associated with family type. Adolescents whose parents described closer relationships with them reported less delinquent behavior and substance use, suggesting that the quality of parent-adolescent relationships better predicts adolescent outcomes than does family type. Copyright (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Dev Psychol. 2008 Jan;44(1):117-26.
Peer relations among adolescents with female same-sex parents.Wainright JL, Patterson CJ.
Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 400400, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.

This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. opposite-sex parents), adolescent gender, family and relationship variables, and the peer relations of adolescents. Participants included 44 adolescents parented by same-sex female couples and 44 adolescents parented by opposite-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. On both self-reported and peer-reported measures of relations with peers, adolescents were functioning well, and the quality of their peer relations was not associated with family type. Regardless of family type, adolescents whose parents described closer relationships with them reported higher quality peer relations and more friends in school and were rated as more central in their friendship networks. Copyright (c) 2008 APA.