Same Sex Parenting and Children

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There are critics who feel that the stigma in our society toward gays being accepted is a conflict of issues. This form of relation may affect the welfare of a child’s upbringing. The prospect of a nontraditional upbringing in a same-sex partnership, or marriage ought to be a problem when raising children. Some feel that there is no real negative influence that this form of parenting has on a child. Politics has raised concern, but there is a limited amount of research in this area to corroborate this concern. Should same-sex marriage be an issue when raising children? Some states such as Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut have legalized the holy union between two people; other states offer civil unions, and several offer partner-benefit programs. Whether you are on the right or left side, you still have to consider how this union might affect the children under the care of what most consider being inappropriate in a social or moral level. This is a natural concern for people that might not understand or accept same-sex couples (Wheeler771). The issue that has reached a consensus is on the welfare of children that are being raised by adults that choose to share relations with the same gender, or what census researchers call a “same sex parent household.” With all the controversy about whether a couple of the same-sex is acceptable in our society, you have to wonder how this will affect a child. Some critics have suggested children are doomed to a life of struggle compared with those raised with a traditional mother and father setting (Carpenter). “It is well-established that children do not need parents of each gender to adjust healthily”(Same-sex). Jessica Larson has been raised by a parent that lived a homosexual life... ... middle of paper ... ...matters. Works Cited American Psychological Association. Lesbian & Gay Parenting. Washington: APA. Web. 3 Mar. 2011. . Carpenter, Mackenzie. "What Happens to Kids Raised by Gay Parents?" Post-Gazette.com. 9 June 2007. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. . "Jessica Larson." Personal interview. 3 Mar. 2011. "Jose Rivera." Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2011. "Same-sex Couples Can Be Effective Parents, Resarchers Find." USA Today. 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2011. . Wheeler, S. M. "Same-sex marriage in the Americas: policy innovation for same-sex relationships." Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries 48.4 (2010): 770-771. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts. EBSCO. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.

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