Australian Medical Association - No difference outcomes for kids of gays false.
The 2005 American Psychological Association (APA) Brief on ‘‘Lesbian and Gay Parenting ’’, which is repeatedly invoked in the same-sex marriage debate , makes the strong assertion: “Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.” However, Loren Marks’ 2012 paper in the journal Social Science Research systematically examines whether the APA’s conclusions are valid and precise, based on the cited scientific evidence. Are we witnessing the emergence of a new family form that provides a context for children that is equivalent to the traditional marriage-based family? Even after an extensive reading of the same-sex parenting literature, the author cannot offer a high confidence, data-based ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ response to this question. To restate, not one of the 59 studies referenced in the 2005 APA Brief compares a large, random, represen...