Should same sex couples be allowed to raise children?

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This was part of a discussion I had with others in my sociology class, and there was a clear divide within the class.

I believe that same sex parents can adequately bring up children just as well as couples of the opposite sex, and there is some evidence, which bears this out. The only issue, from within our discussion, that seemed to be a point against same sex parents, was the possible ridicule that the children of same sex parents might experience in school and generally among their peers.

In a sense, one could argue that same sex parents are not “normal”, but their just as good if not better than opposite sex parents at raising children. And although children of same sex parents might experience ridicule etc, this isn’t a problem of same sex parenting, its really more of an issue with those who do not believe its right.

One of the members of the discussion we had is a Christian, and he thought that despite the fact that same sex parents can bring up children just as well as opposite sex parents, he nonetheless believed that it is still wrong.

Moreover, although I believe that same sex parents can bring up children very well, there is still the issue of how to teach children about same sex couples and parenting; of course we should teach that same sex couples are normal and that they can be good parents, but would this lead to confusing children about sexuality?

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Should same sex couples be allowed to raise children?

yes

0 Replies

Of course they should.

Further, the question is almost absurd. Why are we asking if they should? They can; they do. There is nothing theoretical about this issue.

A
R
T

2 Replies

@failures art,

Ditto. It's a silly question - same sex couples are allowed to raise children already (well, here anyway).

0 Replies

@failures art,

the reason I'm asking if they should, is becuase some people think they shouldn't.

1 Reply

@existential potential,

Some people think unmarried couples should not engage in sex--go figure.

2 Replies

@Setanta,

you immoral perv...

1 Reply

existential potential wrote:

Should same sex couples be allowed to raise children?

I think this question is rigged. Let me un-rig it before answering. In free countries, such as the United States, citizens are allowed to do anything, limited only by the equal rights of others. So the question isn't if same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children. The question is if the government should be allowed to stop them.

As best I can tell, the answer to that question is that, no, the government shouldn't be allowed to stop gay couples from adopting children. If a same-sex couple were to adopt a child, I don't see anybody whose rights it would infringe. Therefore, my answer is that, no, governments should not be allowed to stop them. Or, to answer your original question: Yes, same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children.

2 Replies

@Rockhead,

Thank you . . .

0 Replies

@Thomas,

Good point, Thomas.

The whole question of this thread is about intolerance.

It is acceptable for a single parent to raise a child alone. What changes if there are two people who share the task, regardless of what their relationship to eachother is?

I would propose that it is better for a child to have two parents that love eachother and stick by eachother, even though they are of the same sex, rather than having a mother with another husband and a father with another wife, as is a growing trend today, as divorce becomes more and more common.

A strong reservation I have had to this issue in the past has come from the idea that gay parents would likely raise a boy to be a gay man, perhaps not by intention, but by example, and that this would not be fair to the child.
But considering the troubles homosexual people face in being allowed to make their own choice, I think they are very sensitive to this issue and would perhaps be better suited to raise a child with fewer illusions about sexuality than heterosexual parents with a christian set of values.

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allowed but discouraged until we see some evidence that gay raised adults are fine.

6 Replies

@hawkeye10,

What are the criteria for "fine"?

Some children I know of have lots of people raising them. One has his father and his wife, who is not the kid's mother, and then he has his mother and her boyfriend, who is swapped out from time to time. The kid spends a week at one place and then a week at the other.
Is there any evidence that adults raised in this way are fine?

1 Reply

@Cyracuz,

Quote:

What are the criteria for "fine"?

Obtain education, careers, relationships, stay out of criminality, emotionally healthy.....all at the rate of hetro raised kids or better. If not, then we should not encourage this, for instance by allowing gay marriage. We almost certainly will regardless of the facts though. I look at this as a lost cause.

3 Replies

@Thomas,

existential potential wrote:

Should same sex couples be allowed to raise children?

Thomas wrote:

I think this question is rigged. Let me un-rig it before answering. In free countries, such as the United States, citizens are allowed to do anything, limited only by the equal rights of others. So the question isn't if same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children. The question is if the government should be allowed to stop them.

That 's a good way to put it; even more precisely:
has government been granted jurisdiction to interfere, or not ????

Thomas wrote:

As best I can tell, the answer to that question is that, no, the government shouldn't be allowed to stop gay couples from adopting children. If a same-sex couple were to adopt a child, I don't see anybody whose rights it would infringe. Therefore, my answer is that, no, governments should not be allowed to stop them. Or, to answer your original question: Yes, same-sex couples should be allowed to raise children.

One thing, tho: the child shoud certainly have a veto.

David

1 Reply

@hawkeye10,

Leaving aside the obvious difficulty in assigning "unwanted" outcomes to the sexual orientation of the parents, this is a silly idea because society has a value judgment which calls for government to stay out of the business of parents raising their children. You can come up with all the silly whines you want about contemporary "PC" values you can think of, the fact remains that parents are not held to be liable in law for having raised a child who goes on to be criminal or to display poor mental health. Essentially, you are calling for a standard to be applied to homosexual parents which is not applied to heterosexual parents.

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@hawkeye10,

lots of fucked up kids raised by heteros so far and we don't seem to be stopping them from reproducing

one of the main reasons i never wanted to get married or have kids, didn't want the responsibility, we ned more personal responsibility not some commission to study the outcomes

0 Replies

@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

One thing, tho: the child shoud certainly have a veto.

Why not? But then it should have that veto with different-sex couple as well.

1 Reply

@Thomas,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

One thing, tho: the child shoud certainly have a veto.

Thomas wrote:

Why not? But then it should have that veto with different-sex couple as well.

Yes; (I hesitate to call a child "it"; hopefully, he will not be neutered).

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

(I hesitate to call a child "it"; hopefully, he will not be neutered).

Good point.

0 Replies

@existential potential,

existential potential wrote:

This was part of a discussion I had with others in my sociology class, and there was a clear divide within the class.

I believe that same sex parents can adequately bring up children just as well as couples of the opposite sex, and there is some evidence, which bears this out. The only issue, from within our discussion, that seemed to be a point against same sex parents, was the possible ridicule that the children of same sex parents might experience in school and generally among their peers.

In a sense, one could argue that same sex parents are not “normal”, but their just as good if not better than opposite sex parents at raising children. And although children of same sex parents might experience ridicule etc, this isn’t a problem of same sex parenting, its really more of an issue with those who do not believe its right.

One of the members of the discussion we had is a Christian, and he thought that despite the fact that same sex parents can bring up children just as well as opposite sex parents, he nonetheless believed that it is still wrong.

Moreover, although I believe that same sex parents can bring up children very well, there is still the issue of how to teach children about same sex couples and parenting; of course we should teach that same sex couples are normal and that they can be good parents, but would this lead to confusing children about sexuality?

Same Sex couples should be forced to raise children... They claim equality... Let them prove it... They want the family rate at the zoo??? Have them drag their own little animals from cage to cage... Kids need two mother, and whether we are talk boys or girls couples, that base is covered... You're it, Mom... Your turn to stay up with the puking, shitting, ear-aching, screaming kid, and your turn to help with the homework and do the dishes and laundry too.. Your turn to hold them when they're hopeless, and your turn to buck them up when they're spineless... Every one needs love... Close down the orphanage, and pass out the Munchkins... Then see how much time they have for politics and parades..

0 Replies

Should same sex couples be allowed to raise children?

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