Gay and Lesbian Parenting

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The idea that lesbians and gay men may be parents is often perceived as impossible or immoral. Gay men and lesbians are often excluded from having children because sexual reproduction is related to men and women only. My approach to this controversial topic of gay parenting will be that of attempting to analyze the Pro side first. Gays and lesbians deserve equal rights in our society. Society has to realize that the modern family has transformed into many different forms in recent years in that the "nuclear family" is not necessarily the best.

Then I will attempt to analyze the Con side which expresses the fact that two people of the same sex should not be raising and rearing children together. Many believe that if the couple is unable to produce children together, then they shouldn’t be raising them as parents. Children need a balance in their lives and different sexed parents can provide that balance efficiently. Each parent (mom or dad) socializes the child differently and the child needs to be introduced to both worlds.

I will then proceed to critique both sides on strengths and weaknesses, based on facts, studies, and my own opinion, and then draw some of my own conclusions on this controversial topic of Gay Parenting.

Pro Position

There is no valid reason for refusing to call lesbian and gay headed household families. They fall under every conceivable criterion for identifying families and the concept of a Family. "They are groups of coresident kin providing jointly through income-pooling for eachothers need of food and shelter. They socialize children, engage in emotional and physical support, and make up part of a larger kin network". (O’ Brien and Weir, 128).

There are also many homophobic ( the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuality or gay people, Biery 88) individuals in today’s society who are the main cause of negative stereotypes against lesbians and gay parents. These negative stereotypes all prove to be untrue and irrational, revealing that gay and lesbian parents could be equally as fit to straight parents.

The accusation that majority of gay men are child molesters has been rejected in that the overwhelming majority of child sexual abusers area heterosexual men, who abuse both boys and girls. The fear that children of lesbian and gay parents will become lesbian or gay is irrational in that studies show that the sexual orientation of the parents has no effect whatsoever on sexual orientation of youths.

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