Summary: Socially, behaviorally and health-wise, kids raised by gay parents fare just as well as kids raised by straight ones, says an Australian study, the largest to-date of its kind. This is despite the fact that kids of same-sex parents face more social stigmas than their peers, which the study found detrimental to their mental health. The findings reinforce the idea that all kids really need is love — and to be taught about diversity from a young age to help them be more tolerant of peers from a variety of backgrounds.
All you need is love? That sounds about right to us. According to the largest study of its kind to-date, raising a happy, well-adjusted child has little to do about who their parents choose to love. Despite the fact that children of gay parents are more likely to face social stigmas due to their parents' sexual orientation, they are as well adjusted as children of heterosexual parents, reports a new Australian study published in the journal BMC Public Health.
In a cross-sectional survey, 315 gay parents representing 500 children answered questions about their children's health history, social and emotional wellbeing, and experiences of perceived stigma due to the parents' sexual orientation.
Researchers compared the survey results to national health data on children of heterosexual couples. And in areas like general behavior, general health and family cohesion, kids raised by gay couples tended to score slightly higher than kids raised by straight ones. However, exposure to gay stigmas was found to have a negative impact on mental health. As the authors note, a number of previous studies have found that when children with same-sex parents experience stigma, rejection or homophobic bullying, they're more likely to have emotional developmental problems — with one study finding children from the US experience more homophobia and thereby higher levels of problem behavior versus kids in other countries.
Although this study looked at kids in Australia — so the results may vary slightly among American children — they reinforce the findings of similar research conducted in other countries (including our own). Indeed, this new report supports a concept many families around the world and here at home already take as fact: There's no one right way to raise a family. And as long as your child grows up in a caring home, he'll be OK. What's more, it's a good reminder regardless of your sexual orientation, race or religion of the importance of educating your own kids about diversity from a young age, so when they're on their own they'll naturally be compassionate to peers who come from a variety of family backgrounds.
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