Same-Sex Parenting Explorartory
English 2000
18 March 2013
Is Same-Sex Parenting just as Effective as Conventional Parenting?
Marriage equality is currently one of the latest civil rights issues; along with marriage equality, same-sex parenting is a controversial topic that has yet to die down. There are usually two views taken on the topic of gay parenting: it’s wrong and should be illegal or it’s normal and should be legal. Gay parenting and marriage has become publicly accepted by some and prohibited by others and the average family has developed into many different forms in the last few years. The majority of society believes that child being raised by a single parent is equivalent to same-sex parents. Studies show that children with two moms or two dads grow up just as well as children with heterosexual parents. Opponents of same-sex parenting believe that just as marriage should remain traditional, parenting should also be specifically between a man and a woman, while proponents believe that DNA does not make a parent. The main issue that needs to be resolved today is if same-sex parenting is just as effective as conventional parenting throughout families. Both sides of the debate have their reasons for their beliefs that need to be explored.
An argument of opponents is that same-sex relationships are infamously short-lived and will create an unstable family. By allowing same-sex couples to become parents we are ignoring what is best for children; growing up with a mother and a father. There have been many different studies conducted to get the true background of children being raised by gay parents. Mark Regnerus, Associate Professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted a study on young adults raised within different family arrangements. While sexual orientation or parent sexual behavior has nothing to do with the ability to be an effective parent, his data suggests that it may affect a child’s life experiences. His study reveals that “children appear most
18 March 2013
Is Same-Sex Parenting just as Effective as Conventional Parenting?
Marriage equality is currently one of the latest civil rights issues; along with marriage equality, same-sex parenting is a controversial topic that has yet to die down. There are usually two views taken on the topic of gay parenting: it’s wrong and should be illegal or it’s normal and should be legal. Gay parenting and marriage has become publicly accepted by some and prohibited by others and the average family has developed into many different forms in the last few years. The majority of society believes that child being raised by a single parent is equivalent to same-sex parents. Studies show that children with two moms or two dads grow up just as well as children with heterosexual parents. Opponents of same-sex parenting believe that just as marriage should remain traditional, parenting should also be specifically between a man and a woman, while proponents believe that DNA does not make a parent. The main issue that needs to be resolved today is if same-sex parenting is just as effective as conventional parenting throughout families. Both sides of the debate have their reasons for their beliefs that need to be explored.
An argument of opponents is that same-sex relationships are infamously short-lived and will create an unstable family. By allowing same-sex couples to become parents we are ignoring what is best for children; growing up with a mother and a father. There have been many different studies conducted to get the true background of children being raised by gay parents. Mark Regnerus, Associate Professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted a study on young adults raised within different family arrangements. While sexual orientation or parent sexual behavior has nothing to do with the ability to be an effective parent, his data suggests that it may affect a child’s life experiences. His study reveals that “children appear most