Thanks Allot.

Firstly I thought I should correct your mistakes,
“… Children who are raised by their married mother and father become more productive citizens. They do better in school…”
this is false I have been brought up by my mother my whole life and I am often placed in the smarter half of the class as well as being a member of extension learning classes.

“…The Dutch study, found that homosexual men in these relationships had an average of eight “casual” sex partners per year…”
I’m sorry but the Dutch should really reconsider their study, have they bothered to study heterosexual men the out come is probably similar.
I have known homosexual couples to outlast many many heterosexual marriages.

Some people argue that homosexual behavior is unnatural as they can not conceive children.. however there are many women it the world that cant do this either. In fact some gay men even help women conceive by donating sperm.

I personally think you cannot take away somebody’s opportunity to lead a happy life gay men can not posibly be expected to change their romantic feelings, attractions and beliefs just because you don’t understand it I mean how could you you’re not a homosexual.

There are many things that people are expected to accept in society why cant homosexuals be accepted aswell?

I had already read all the replies. None address my core question.

Even if one assumes as correct the statement that every child does best with both a mother and father in the home, how does denying marriage equality further the goal of having more two-parent, opposite gender families?

I’m truly interested in an answer to that question.

Read the replies very carefully. The folks who have spoken out against gay marriage have done so, because there is a standard to rearing children: a good mother and father figure. Those parents who are single parents have a bigger challenge to raise their children with both good male and female examples for their children. It is to the advantage of the child to have both a man and woman parental figure in his or her life. Yes, we are all aware that there are a huge number of single parent homes (quite often a single mother, but not always, and she has a son to raise…disadvantage for the son.) Also, there is the single dad family in which the dad has a daughter, and that can be tough on the girl. Also, the single mom with a daughter can be a bad situation too…what is the daughter learning about a relationship between a man and a woman? The same thing can apply to a single dad family with a son…what is the son learning about women?

Now let’s look at a homosexual couple raising a child: What is that child learning? It’s not something good.

Now for anyone else reading these responses, please don’t bring up things like domestic violence and the like; those things are also real serious issues in relationships which need to be dealt with, but it only serves as a smokescreen on this topic, and yes we all know these things go on in reality!

How will denying marriage equality prevent heterosexual couples (or, for that matter, homosexual couples) from having/adopting and raising children?

In fact, all that will be achieved by denying marriage equality (apart from enshrining discrimination in the California Constitution) is that those children who are being raised by same-sex couples will be denied the stability and benefits that come when couples take on the responsibilities of civil marriage.

As usual, you have hit the nail on the head. I wish some of these people responding would do their own research before sounding off. Personally, I’d like to see those activist judges in the California Supreme Court get an old fashioned Tar & Feathering for their outright arrogance and stupidity. I get sick and tired of the clown school running our state of affairs. Cheers, and I hope you and your husband are doing well!

From your old CBC colleague,

Edward (aka MR. E)

Above all, these stats do not and will not change reality. In California and Massachusetts, gays will marry. Throughout the United States, gay couples will raise children together.

The social climate has changed in the past 50 years, dear. Back then, Homosexuality was considered a “mental disorder” by the APA. Of course these ‘studies’ are going to agree with the status quo, it’s people back then hearing what they wanted to hear. Think outside the box.

Seriously, attend a GSA or a PFLAG meeting and get to know us a little better. We are reasonable people just like everyone else. Please, take me up on this offer.

It’s more than a bit dishonest of you to mis-characterize every response to the original article as being merely a matter of “passion”, rather than reason and evidence. Plenty of both have been posted, by others and by myself.

The fact of the matter is, not every fellow human feels romantic / sexual attraction exclusively towards members of the opposite gender. You do no one any good by demonizing these people, or making (IMO fallacious) assertions which imply that “If it’s tradition, it must be right, and if it isn’t, it must be wrong.” Much that was once traditional – slavery, the subjugation of women, etc. – is no longer traditional today, and we are all the better for it. It seems to me that the demonization of and bias against non-heterosexuals is likewise incompatible with today’s views towards justice, fairness, and equality.

You are free to eschew acting on whichever personal desires you feel are inappropriate. You are not free to impose your demand that other consenting adults not live their lives with those they love, other consenting adults, simply because you personally don’t approve of their choices… nor should you be.

Yes, by all means, I heartily agree that “Relationship skills within marriages and families need to be given renewed support… “, including support for marriages and families which happen to include same-sex couples, couples which do all of the things that mixed-sex couples do, including raise children.