I haven't either. I don't think any exist yet, which is why we need studies.

Indeed, the scientific research that has directly compared outcomes for children with gay and lesbian parents with outcomes for children with heterosexual parents has been remarkably consistent in showing that lesbian and gay parents are every bit as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as psychologically healthy and well-adjusted as children reared by heterosexual parents,[23][9][20][27][22][28] despite the reality that considerable legal discrimination and inequity remain significant challenges for these families.[20] These data have demonstrated no risk to children as a result of growing up in a family with 1 or more gay parents.[29]

Bare in mind, adoption is first about the 'child'  not those who wish to adopt them.

Being a kid is tough enough, why make it harder than it has to be for them to fit in at school?

I cant see too many heterosexual parents being OK with their own children sleeping over at a gay household, because unfortunately, there still exists much prejudice in our society.

It might not get said out-loud in polite company, but if my sons slumber party was any indication, (I will just add his gay-friend  has been beaten up more times than I can tell you in the last year)...  my son being a popular kid now protects him though....when he's at school, but the thing is, kids can be cruel, really really cruel, and I know for certain if it weren't for my son and his mates looking after this boy, then he would have left school well before now, and despite the protection my son offers his mate at school, the A-holes find a way of getting to him after school, tagging up his house, and all sorts of wretched things.

Recently, they binned his bag....up-ended the contents of his bag, turned it inside out and stuffed it in a school bin.

Apparently it's still cool to gay-bash among some uncouth yobs and their red-neck parents, so imagine what they would do if they knew another kids parents were gay?

Prejudice and intolerance is very real, so before passing these laws, I might suggest some security in our kids playgrounds might be a good idea.

I had one parent who called me (I think from the pub) and in no uncertain terms advise that my allowing my son to have gay friends would be one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

Naturally, this made me even more determined to allow this slumber party to go ahead!

And it did...without a hitch.

....... But there's still the predicable few who more or less egg their own children on to humiliate and degrade gay students at school, as though it were acceptable.

These attitudes aren't changed over night, and or by passing new bills, first-most, children should always be considered first.

Adopted parents always get the "You aren't my real parents anyway so you cant tell me what to do" thingy at some point...   it's inevitable, and it hurts, (My children's father was adopted), but imagine these kids going to school blowing off steam to mates, telling all about his/her gay parents, this and even condemning the situation themselves this and then after having done so, expecting things to be business as usual when they have gotten over their parent-war...  no way, it's not going to happen.

If anything, we will have kids suing a future government for having been deprived of an optimal environment, in the event their own lives somehow end up a wreck.

Not unlike we saw with indigenous children being adopted out to white family's and things not working out there also.

When will we learn to stop meddling?

Mellie...children aren't born with a 'sense' of 'right and wrong'...
All bigotry, whether based on skin colour, religion or sexual preference, is LEARNED behaviour, and is taught by the parents(and by society, to a lesser extent)....
If you're sons gay friend has been beaten up....then that is fully, and ONLY, the fault of the parents of the kids who beat him....

Children, until they are indoctrinated by their parents (or other 'Authority' figures) don't care, and have NO opinion on any thing about differences..

They don't care if a parent is black, white or yellow....they don't care what political party you follow, what religion you are, what footy team/code you follow or what your sexual preference is.....UNTIL they get 'taught' to care.

But you CAN legislate 'Tolerance and understanding' though....

And that will reduce the amount of intolerance and violence directed at 'gay' teens and children....
By educating adults that homosexuality ISN'T a crime or 'sin'..then you reduce the number of parents who teach their children that it's ok to beat up 'gays'....
And the 'best' way to do that is by treating gays the same as everyone else.....

Quote:


You can legislate personal attitudes? How?

... wrote on Sep 1^st, 2010 at 3:36pm:


You can make certain 'unfriendly' or 'violent' attitudes illegal.....

After all, it's now illegal to lynch or assault people because they have a different skin colour.....so using the same laws to protect people with a different sexual preference isn't that hard is it???

The most fundamental of all human biological rights, of which is the right to having both a mum and a dad, and we cant even do our best to grant kids this when their own have failed them?

Kids first!



No, you cant legislate human attitudes, but you can do your best to place children in an environment which doesn't serve to stigmatise, effect them further.

This should be about kids first, not the rights of straight/gay others.