Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The Children

I just finished a review of the research on children raised by gays and lesbians, if the topic interests anyone. It's here:

http://isocrat.org/science/children_of_ssp/effects.php

In short, the kids are alright, and somewhat different.

As always, edits and suggestions appreciated.

6 comments:

Kengo Biddles said...

I only glanced over it, Scot, but thanks for putting it out there.

I don't know if you saw my comment on (Cliff's?) blog, but I mentioned how I would ever-so much have a pair of fine parents like you and Rob watching over two kidlets than the dysfunctional abusive (sexual/mental/verbal) parents that I've run into through this life.

Not saying that you're the paragon of perfection, mind, but that I'd much rather have healthy people in our society and compromise on the perceived norm, when the perceived norm produces people like the men who hurt my Miki and Samantha.

Scot said...

That's very nice of you to say; thank you kengo.

"(Cliff's?)"

I don't get out as much as I used to. I've not been to cliff's blog.

"Not saying that you're the paragon of perfection"

Me neither :-).

Dave said...

The summary is great!

Kengo Biddles said...

Cliff's blog is www.soymademegay.com.

And FWIW, I don't think of you two as fine parents lightly. Your boys seem well adjusted and happy little kidlets. I can only hope that mine turn out as well as yours seem to have.

Anonymous said...

Hi Scot,
Warning: this may raise your blood pressure. Take a look at this column from Orson Scott Card in today's DesNews Mormon Times.

http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?id=1444

He's attempting to see beyond his own experience. Kind of reminds me of McConkie's statement in the sixties, "I have nothing against the Negro."

Scot said...

Once again, thank you Kengo; if there's any compliment I don't take lightly, it's one regarding our children.

Anonymous: Thanks for the link, if only they'd pay for the blood pressure medication I'll eventually need... I'll follow it. I would bet though on just another iteration of the ideal family argument.

So far my favorite bit, which he wants to drive home so much that he repeats twice:

"We are not angry with those whose lives have been shaped by desires that most of us don't feel."

He doesn't know what it's like to be attracted to a woman? LDS women don't know what it's like to be attracted to a man? No, gays and lesbians are feeling something alien; one person's attraction to men comes from God, and the other's, well, we don't know... He seemingly doesn't want the audience to realize that he's advocating for the orientation of a typical woman to be coupled up with a woman.

If only it mattered how good or angry he felt about his intentions or hurting our families. In fact, advertising his good, just feeling about breaking the golden rule is just another way for him to get more people to do it. Like many supposedly following their direction from the supernatural in the past, some aiming at the LDS, we can hit people on the nose and feel like we're not doing harm.

All this despite direct evidence of the harm of what he's advocating to our families and our children, and contrary to a mass of evidence that his harm is imagined. But both our intentions are good. [sigh]

"I don't want to make any statement that would condemn these friends of mine or even hurt their feelings."

It'll be interesting to see if the first thing he does isn't to insult our children.