Surprise: Gay couples raise normal children!

SapphireJinx · 07-28-2010, 09:00 AM

This should help all of you out there who are convinced that gay and lesbian parents are destroying society...

Quote:

This study investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27
lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples (80% White, M¼42 years) with young
adopted children (41% White, M¼3 years). Parents and teachers reported that, on
average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children’s adjustment,
parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not
significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family
process variables—parenting stress, parenting approaches, and couple relationship
adjustment—were found to be significantly associated with children’s adjustment,
regardless of parental sexual orientation. Implications for understanding the role of
gender and sexual orientation in parenting, as well as for legal and policy debates,
are discussed.

The PDF is huuuuuuuge, and I haven't read the whole thing yet, but it looks very promising. Seems like solid methodology to me, though I'm certainly no statistics expert.

Quote:

Children in this sample, who had all been adopted in
infancy by lesbian, gay, or heterosexual couples, were
reported to be developing well by both their parents
and outside caregivers. There were no significant differences
among children as a function of parental sexual
orientation on measures of internalizing, externalizing,
or total behavior problems. These results represent the
first time that teachers’ reports of children’s behavior
have been considered alongside those of parents in a
sample of young adopted children with lesbian, gay,
and heterosexual parents. They are consistent with
earlier findings that parental sexual orientation is not
associated with children’s behavioral adjustment (e.g.,
Golombok et al., 2003). Although effect sizes were small
and no significant differences were detected, the direction
of effects often favored children with same-sex over
other-sex parents. Overall, children adopted early in life
by lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents appeared to be
thriving.
We also found that young children adopted by lesbian,
gay, and heterosexual parents were assessed as
showing typical gender development. Regardless of
whether their parents were lesbian, gay, or heterosexual,
most boys exhibited behavior typical of other same-aged
boys, and most girls exhibited behavior typical of other
same-aged girls. There were no significant differences as
a function of family type. This finding is particularly
noteworthy for the children of gay fathers, whose gender
development has rarely been investigated in earlier
studies (Tasker & Patterson, 2007). Our results suggest
that parental sexual orientation is not as influential in
young children’s gender development as previously
thought (e.g., Baumrind, 1995). Rather than parental
sexual orientation, biological influences and other
gender-typed socialization influences are likely to be
particularly important early in children’s development
(Golombok et al., 200

.

There is so much information here that it's overwhelming. For now, let's skip to the conclusion:

Quote:

In conclusion, the results of this study point to family
processes as being more clearly associated than family
structure with positive outcomes for parents and children
in adoptive families. Family process variables such
as parenting stress, parenting strategies, and couple
relationship satisfaction were significantly associated
with assessments of child behavior problems. In comparison,
parental sexual orientation was unrelated to
children’s adjustment. That family process was more
closely associated than family structure with outcomes
among adopted children is a result that is important
both to developmental theory and to family policy.

http://people.virginia.edu/~cjp/articles/ffp10b.pdf

Bottom line: When it comes to raising, happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids, there is NO meaningful difference between gay or straight parents.

Suck it, gary.

tristanrobin · 07-28-2010, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireJinx

Suck it, gary.

ugh
I'd rather have a pit bull latched onto my johnson.

SapphireJinx · 07-28-2010, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tristanrobin

ugh
I'd rather have a pit bull latched onto my johnson.

Why, tristan, I didn't know you were partial to canines...

/me wags happily

highway80west · 07-28-2010, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireJinx

Suck it, gary.

You tell him, Sapphire. LOL

garysher · 07-28-2010, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SapphireJinx

Children in this sample, who had all been adopted in infancy by lesbian, gay, or heterosexual couples, were reported to be developing well by both their parents and outside caregivers.

So the homosexual parents think they are doing a good job?

What a surprise. Sounds like a really unbiased scientific survey.

Tell me when you find the part of the survey that deals with the willful denial of both a mum and a dad.

garysher · 07-28-2010, 03:06 PM

Oh and the main author of the dissertation, Rachel Farr, just happens to be a lesbian

BIOGRAPHY Rachel H. Farr on June 29, 2010.

After spending most of my life in New York State, I moved to Virginia in 2006 to come to graduate school at UVa. I am now entering my fifth year of the Ph.D. program, with plans to finish in May 2011.

I was born outside of Boston, MA and shortly after my family adopted my sister from India, we moved to NY where my parents are co-pastors of a United Church of Christ congregation in Watertown, NY.

I now live in Charlottesville with my partner/wife, Laura, who is in counseling and social work, along with our dogs Mason and Sasha and our cat Miles.
Rachel H. Farr

That's like asking a Grand Wizard of the KKK to conduct a survey on white supremacy.

As a resident of Virginia she cannot have a wife. I wonder how many other lies and untruths are included in this worthless homework project?

Catus Felidae · 07-28-2010, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysher

Oh and the main author of the dissertation, Rachel Farr, just happens to be a lesbian

BIOGRAPHY Rachel H. Farr on June 29, 2010.

After spending most of my life in New York State, I moved to Virginia in 2006 to come to graduate school at UVa. I am now entering my fifth year of the Ph.D. program, with plans to finish in May 2011.

I was born outside of Boston, MA and shortly after my family adopted my sister from India, we moved to NY where my parents are co-pastors of a United Church of Christ congregation in Watertown, NY.

I now live in Charlottesville with my partner/wife, Laura, who is in counseling and social work, along with our dogs Mason and Sasha and our cat Miles.
Rachel H. Farr

That's like asking a Grand Wizard of the KKK to conduct a survey on white supremacy.

As a resident of Virginia she cannot have a wife. I wonder how many other lies and untruths are included in this worthless homework project?

Did you have both a mother and a father?