By Gary Bauer
Recent court decisions striking down state marriage laws as discriminatory have relied on flimsy research that found little or no impact on children raised in same-sex households. Two new studies are calling that research into question and reigniting the debate over same-sex "marriage."
Professor Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas evaluated nearly 3,000 young adults on "40 measures of social, emotional and relationship outcomes." According to theWashington Times, he found that children raised by homosexual men had negative outcomes in 19 categories, while children raised by lesbians had negative outcomes in 24 out of 40 categories.
Professor Regnerus concedes that his study does not "tell us that same-sex parents are necessarily bad parents." But he insists that "The empirical claim that no notable differences exist must go." Ultimately, his study reaffirms that children do best when raised in stable homes with a mother and a father.
A second study by Assistant Professor Loren Marks of Louisiana State University sought to examine the research underpinning the American Psychological Association's support of same-sex parenting. Marks found several problems with the APA's research and concluded, "The lack of high-quality data leaves the most significant questions [about gay parenting] unaddressed and unanswered."
These new studies certainly won't end the culture war playing out in our courts and in the court of public opinion. But this much is clear: You don't need a PhD to know that children do best when raised by a mother and a father. Common sense, basic biology and thousands of years of human history make that abundantly clear.
But if the left insists on fundamentally redefining the institution of marriage, the foundation of healthy families and societies, then the left bears the burden of demonstrating that it is beneficial for the children likely to be involved in this radical experiment. These new studies clearly indicate that the militant homosexual movement is a long way from meeting that standard.
Read Gary Bauer's latest column at: humanevents.com.
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