Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers

[JanP]

It doesn't suggest that at all though does it? What it suggests (rightly and glaringly obviously) is that responsible parents who take an interest in their families experience less problems with their family.

 

Since there doesn't seem to be any control group in the study it just proves that nice caring people begat nice caring people. I like that simple, old fashioned idea.

 

Lesbian, gay, straight, bi, tri, Uncle Tom Cobbly or Gary Liniker... who cares. Here's to nice people !

 

Yes it is good to see nice caring people of all varieties getting a positive write up. But there is a long held view in some quarters that same sex parenting is detrimental to child development - surely one of the reasons gay couples have only recently been able to become adoptive parents.

[Tony]

There is that view in many quarters but this study doesn't prove that they aren't right. It goes part of the way towards normalisation but it doesn't show anything significant apart from that responsible (I called them nice ) people in the study have nice families.

[Cyclone]

The 'general population ' isn't a proper isolated control though is it?

 

Since the point of the study was 'lesbian couples' which is a very specific grouping within the population the control should be an equally comparative grouping within the general population such as 'straight couples' or 'gay couples' or 'Gary Lineker'.

 

I get the feeling that the point of the study is being misapporiated.

 

That would be a better control, I agree. But comparing a group to known data sets (drawn in this case from the general population) allows you to make a statement about how this situation compares with 'the average'. And the statement is, it's not harmful.

[Tony]

Of course, but you no doubt understand my point of caution about it being no more or no less than what it says. The study doesn't do what the OP or others have claimed.

[Cyclone]

There is that view in many quarters but this study doesn't prove that they aren't right. It goes part of the way towards normalisation but it doesn't show anything significant apart from that responsible (I called them nice ) people in the study have nice families.

 

If the assertion is that "having gay parents is harmful to a child", then this study goes a long way to proving them wrong.

At least compared to the 'average' child being brought up by lesbians, for whatever reason (planning, desire, niceness) appears not to be harmful.

Since the reality is that lesbians won't be having unplanned children, there is no point in trying to normalise the study for that kind of difference.

It might be (and I'm not saying I think this) that having straight parents, who also planned to have a child and are more affluent than average is even better for a child. But that doesn't alter that this study seems to have shown that having lesbian parents is not harmful to a child.

[milquetoast1]

You seem to be confusing expensive treatments like IVF for those with fertility problems & simply getting some donor sperm from the sperm bank which costs a fraction of complicated treatments like IVF.

I recall it costing me and the wife £90 a time at the old Jessops 20 years ago.

[Tony]

If the assertion is that "having gay parents is harmful to a child", then this study goes a long way to proving them wrong.

At least compared to the 'average' child being brought up by lesbians, for whatever reason (planning, desire, niceness) appears not to be harmful.

Since the reality is that lesbians won't be having unplanned children, there is no point in trying to normalise the study for that kind of difference.

It might be (and I'm not saying I think this) that having straight parents, who also planned to have a child and are more affluent than average is even better for a child. But that doesn't alter that this study seems to have shown that having lesbian parents is not harmful to a child.

 

 

If the 'average' was among groups of all types who had undergone some form of artificial insemination then again it would be more credible. Frankly the study looks a bit lazy and a bit geared towards a pre-determined political statement rather than some real insightful research.

 

Who paid for it?

[KamalJoe]

Great!

 

So how many of you are planning to turn GAY?

[Tony]

If the 'average' was among groups of all types who had undergone some form of artificial insemination then again it would be more credible. Frankly the study looks a bit lazy and a bit geared towards a pre-determined political statement rather than some real insightful research.

 

Who paid for it?

 

Aha! A quick bit of research and we find that

 

However, due to the fact that the study was funded by several LGBT groups such as the Gay Lesbian Medical Association, those opposed to gay parenting have already concluded that the study was biased and that the data has been manipulated.

 

Already we have a study funded by people who could be said to have a vested interest in a pre-determined outcome, especially when the study is a bit flakey.

[milquetoast1]

It doesn't suggest that at all though does it? What it suggests (rightly and glaringly obviously) is that responsible parents who take an interest in their families experience less problems with their family.

 

Since there doesn't seem to be any control group in the study it just proves that nice caring people begat nice caring people. I like that simple, old fashioned idea.

 

Lesbian, gay, straight, bi, tri, Uncle Tom Cobbly or Gary Liniker... who cares. Here's to nice people !

And your claims, which I agree with, are simply in line with the claims of any responsible gay couple that want or have children. I have never heard them claim that they are better than heterosexual parents, but they do have to fight against the prejudices of a large number of people who believe they will make awful parents.

 

It is reassuring that all these studies so far, even accepting for their limitations, seem to concur with your post and the claims of the homosexual parents.

 

I am perfectly willing to accept that the only "advantages" children may gain from having gay parents can be explained by other factors. None of them will be getting pregnant with somebody they don't know after getting drunk, it is unlikely that they will be having kids to claim benefits, and they will all be in the economic position to pay for AI treatment at least. But study after study, drip by drip, the claims that "having gay parents is harmful to a child" are shown to be poisonous nonsense.