It was always a baffling argument to say that same-sex people shouldn’t be allowed to be parents. There are so many kids that need fostering and adoption and there are so many same-sex couples who are happy and willing to open up their homes to them – and same-sex couples can now also use IVF to start families.
Of course, seeing as no one criticises the many excellent single parents out there, which puts paid to the ‘you need both genders’ argument, the answer as to why there’s still opposition to same-sex parents comes down to one simple thing: homophobia.
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But a new study has shown, as we pretty much expected all along, that same-sex couples actually make fantastic parents.
According to the new Italian study, children raised by gay and lesbian parents develop just as well as those raised by straight parents.
The research, published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, included 125 lesbian women who gave birth using donor sperm, 70 gay men who had a child via a surrogate, and 195 heterosexual couples.
The study found: “Children of gay fathers and lesbian mothers were reported as showing fewer psychological problems than children of heterosexual parents.”
It goes on: “Findings suggested that children with same-sex parents fare well both in terms of psychological adjustment and prosocial behavior.
“The present study warns policy makers against making assumptions on the basis of sexual orientation about people who are more suited than others to be parents or about people who should or should not be denied access to fertility treatments.”
So to all you bigots out there: keep your opinions to yourself and, you never know, you might even be able to pick up a few useful parenting tips from all the great same-sex couples out in the world.
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(Images: Getty)
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