Ganzert 1

Lindsey Ganzert
Mr. Conrad
Expository Reading and Writing - Period 3
26 October 2015

Homosexual Parents Seek Acceptance

While the debate over the role of gay and lesbian parents grows, the structure of the
traditional family is changing. Many believe this change is a positive thing, and some believe it
is negatively affecting the lives of their children. Those who believe the latter, do not have all of
the facts. Not only are gay and lesbian families not a threat of religion, but it has been proven
numerous times that their children are not more likely to have problems, and that a family does
not have to include a mother and father.

A very popular argument is that gay and lesbian families violate the teachings of
Christianity and pose a threat to religious freedom because they weaken the traditional concept
of marriage. They think the root of the problem is the allowance of gay and lesbian marriage, and
believe that "same-sex marriage is an ominous threat to religious liberty" (Heiser). They claim
that giving gay men and lesbians the right to marry somehow destabilizes heterosexual marriage,
except that divorce and adultery are the biggest under-miners of [heterosexual] marriage
(Murray). Religious opposers of gay and lesbians families always fall back to the fact that the
Bible deems homosexuality punishable by death. This argument is the opposers essentially
cherry picking the bible. Leviticus says not to eat shellfish [Lev. 11:9-12], use mixed seed or
fabrics [Lev. 19:19], harvest the corners of fields [Lev. 19:9] and that homosexuality is wrong

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[Lev. 18:22, 20:13] (Slick). If homosexuality is wrong because Leviticus says so, should we
also obey the other laws about shellfish, seed, fabrics, and fields?

Contrary to popular belief, children of gay and lesbian parents are not more likely to have
problems. Many people, who are undereducated in this subject, would argue that children in gay
and lesbian families are more prone to suffering emotional and social problems, therefore it
should not be allowed. Because there is no real proof that it is true, the only argument presented
is that recent studies do not accurately reflect these issues because many researchers are too
concerned about being perceived as homophobic (Children). Admittedly, not all gay and lesbian
families are perfect, but neither are all heterosexual families. The simple fact is that the children
are just fine, and in some cases, better off. Years of research by Abbie Goldberg, who received
her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and teaches
psychology at Clark University in Worcester, has proven that they do just as well in school,
they're just as popular, and they have just as many friends . . . all the research indicates that
they're very well adjusted, they're more likely to be tolerant of differences, because their parents
are teaching them certain values that are positive" (Wilson). Essentially, being a child of gay or
lesbian families does not hinder a child, but in most cases creates a better environment for the
child.

Many opposers also believe that a family must include a mother and father, but that is not
the case. It is argued that "men and women bring diversity to parenting; each makes unique
contributions to the rearing of children that can't be replicated by the other, mothers and fathers
simply are not interchangeable" (Hansen). While it is true that men and women both bring
something different to the table, that does not mean they are both needed to raise a child. In fact,

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today, one-third of American children a total of 15 million are being raised without a father
and nearly five million more children live without a mother (Anderson). With so many children
today living with single parents, there is most definitely no harm in having two mothers or two
fathers. Not only do children with gay or lesbian parents do just as well as the children of straight
married parents, but in many ways, they do even better. In a study that followed lesbian moms
and their children for their first seventeen years, researchers Henny Bos and Nanette Gartrell
determined that compared to other teens, these kids were more likely to succeed academically,
were less likely to have social problems, break rules or exhibit aggressive behavior (Friedrichs).
Also, many homes with a mother and father figure are still not suitable environments for growing
children. As many have realized, lesbians and gay men do not typically become parents
accidentally. Most make a conscious and complicated decision before becoming a parent. While
planning to have children intentionally doesn't necessarily mean one will do a better job at it,
(Kate and Jon Gosselin come to mind [a divorced celebrity couple with eight children]), it really
does give parents a leg up.

All in all, children of gay and lesbian families are able to lead happy, normal lives. These
families are in fact not a threat to religion, these children are not more likely to have problems,
and these families does not need a mother and father figure to be able to prosper. The criticisms
of gay and lesbian parents have been proven invalid and it is becoming more widely understood
that a traditional family structure is not the only way to raise children anymore. In the end, gay
and lesbian parents are the same as any parent; they wish to see their children grow up, live a
healthy life, and find happiness.

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Works Cited
Anderson, Kirsten. "The Number of US Children Living in Single-parent Homes Has Nearly
Doubled in 50 Years: Census Data." LifeSiteNews. N.p., 04 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
"Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents Are More Likely to Have Problems." Gay Parenting. Ed.
Beth Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. of "Full Interview
with Dr. Walter Schumm." LifeSiteNews.com. N.p.: n.p., 2010. N. pag. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Friedrichs, Ellen. "A Family Does Not Have to Include a Mother and a Father." Gay Parenting.
Ed. Beth Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. of "Hey
ConservativesGays Are Better Parents than You." AlterNet.org. N.p.: n.p., 2010. N. pag.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Hansen, Trayce. "A Family Must Include a Mother and a Father." Gay Parenting. Ed. Beth
Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. of "Love Isn't Enough:
5 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Harm Children." N.p.: n.p., 2008. N. pag.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Heiser, James. "Gay Families Are a Threat to Religion." Gay Parenting. Ed. Beth Rosenthal.
Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. of "Archbishop Protests Obama's
Anti-Marriage Agenda." New American 30 Sept. 2011: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Murray, Douglas. "Gay Families Are Not a Threat to Religion." Gay Parenting. Ed. Beth
Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. of "Why Conservatives
Should Welcome Gay Marriage." Spectator 1 Oct. 2011: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

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Slick, Matt. "Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Homosexuality, Shellfish, Mixed Fabrics, and Not Being
under Old Testament Law." Www.carm.org. N.p., n.d. Web.
Wilson, Suzanne. "Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents Are Not More Likely to Have
Problems." Gay Parenting. Ed. Beth Rosenthal. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2013. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. of "A Conversation with Psychologist Abbie Goldberg: What Studies
Show About Gay/Lesbian Parenting." Daily Hampshire Gazette 22 July 2009: n. pag.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.