The Scottish government has just published a report called “The Experiences of Children with Lesbian and Gay Parents.” The Iowa Supreme Court and other advocates of same-sex marriage have touted “social-science evidence” in support of their conclusion, so this report is timely.
It examines only eight studies. None dealt with child outcomes such as school success, delinquency, etc. Instead the focus was on household dynamics and perceptions of parents’ orientation. The report notes that only two studies employed a comparison group, five used “volunteer-based convenience samples,” and all the studies relied “heavily or exclusively on self-reported data.”
The section titled “Advantages of having a Lesbian or Gay Parent” identifies two. One study concluded children of lesbian mothers “felt they had developed a greater awareness of prejudice and a wider acceptance of diversity, especially with regard to sexual orientation.” (Next report: Children of Latter-day Saints are less likely to believe that Mormons are a dangerous cult.) Another reported “fathers felt their daughters were more tolerant of others compared to sons” and “sons benefited more than their daughters in relation to accepting their own sexuality.”
On such foundations is the case for redefining marriage built.