As the legislation of same-sex partnerships and marriages is revised in more and more countries and states, the issue on adaption of children arises. Many gay people have children from an earlier marriage, and their partner then often wishes to adopt the children to ensure legal rights. Others are without children, but wish to adopt parent-less kids, perhaps from other countries. And some gay couples wish to get children by artificial insemination or other medical techniques.

In deciding the legislation on this issue, one of the most important factors is naturally: How are the children affected? If it is harmful to be raised in a same-sex environment, it naturally cannot be recommended. Some factors in society also fears that children raised by gay parents will themselves have a greater likelyhood of becoming gay, due to lack of role models. What answers do the web give on this issue?

WEB RESOURCES

• A poll by ABC News shows that the opposition against same-sex adoption is sinking, with the highest opposition rate being in the highest age groups.

• This article at ChristianAction.org, argues that same-sex adoption is egoistic, and quotes research that supports the view that it is harmful for the children.

• In San Francisco, the Catholic Charities is supporting same-sex adoption, as reported here by the Catholic World Report.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics quotes research to show that same-sex parenting is equally good for the child as growing up in a traditional family, event though they point out the need for more research on the issue. Their statement is opposed by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuals.

• This article at Slate.com questions the statements both in the AAP statement and in the opposition made to it by the Family Research Council, arguing that both sides are heaviliy biased and unscientific. The article has several interesting comments from both supporters and the opposition to same-sex parenting.

• In a 2002 press release, The American Psychiatric Association supports same-sex adoption, arguing that the important issue for the emotional well-being of the child is the stability of the parent’s relationship.

• The adoption organization Families Like Ours, supports same-sex parenting, arguing against the “myths” of GLBT parenting in this article.

• This article on the issue at the American Civil Liberties Union, argues for allowing same-sex adoption on the basis of the lack of families willing to adopt and the number of children in foster-care.

• The article Review of Research on Homosexual Parenting, Adoption, and Foster Parenting, published at the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuals, argues strongly against same-sex parenting, quoting research that shows the stressful effects such an upbringing has on the affected children.

• The Family Research Institute has conducted a private research, implicating that 71% of researched cases of sexual abuse of foster-children was homosexual abuse. A short article at About.com quotes research that say that  the probability of heterosexual abuse is 100 times more usual than gay abuse.

• This web-page at The Scottish Executive, lists the current status on research both pro and con same-sex parenting, including the current legal status in many countries.

• The American Family Association quotes research supporting traditional families and opposing same-sex parenting, arguing that the main problem is that the children are likely to develop homosexual identifications themselves. About.com uses other research and argues that the percentage of children developing a homosexual orientation is equal in both parenting situations.

• Adoption.org lists several articles that argues either pro or con the issue.

• A list of resources on the issue is listed at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

• ReligiousTolerance.org has a resource page on the question, including this summary of research on same-sex parenting and the effect on the children concerned.

• CBS News has this article on the issue, concluding that research indicates that same-sex parenting is not harmful to the children, but that more studies will be helpful in determining the truth.

• The American Academy of Pediatrics has this article on co-parenting and second-parent adaption by same-sex couples, concluding that “Children’s optimal development seems to be influenced more by the nature of the relationships and interactions within the family unit than by the particular structural form it takes.”

• The Vatican says that same-sex adoption constitutes a “grave danger” to the children concerned.

If you know about other interesting websites about this question, please give me a tip, and I’ll put the resource on this page.

INDICATIONS FROM THE INVESTIGATION

As usual, the web resources and research seems to be biased according to the view of the writer. While some sources claim that the research on the issue indicates that children raised by same-sex parents will have a increased likelihood of depressions, suicide and same-sex attractions, sources on the other side claim that no difference in these factors has been found.

Some sources maintain that the most important factor for ensuring the child’s well-being is that it’s raised in a stable, loving family, and that the gender of the “parents” is of no issue. The investigation indicates that the best possible environment for a child is being raised by it’s own parents in such loving relationship, but that a loving, same-sex family probably is better than a hostile family situation, or as in the case of adoption: no family at all.

Several sources asks for more research on the question, to give more reliable data on how the concerned children eventually are affected.