Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued its public support for same-sex marriage, stating that a parent’s sexual orientation is not related to a child’s well-being. The statement, available in the April issue of the Pediatrics journal also supports adoption and foster care for all parents of every sexual orientation. After examining a slew of gay parenting research, including studies conducted by the PEW Research Center that found that younger adults are usually supportive of gay rights, the AAP wanted to offer its national support for LGBT equality. For gay rights advocates and LGBT parents, the AAP’s announcement comes at the perfect time.
Next week, the U.S. Supreme Court will start the proceedings on the ultimate fate of the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8, determining if they are unconstitutional. With both cases relegating marriage as an institution between a woman and a man, not same-sex couples, the court’s final decision is much anticipated. The AAP’s support for gay parenting and gay marriage can make a difference in the U.S Supreme Court’s ultimate verdict.
What else did the AAP find? Other factors that prompted the AAP’s statement include parenting research that highlights the importance of a commitment to dual parenting, the family’s access to economic and social support, a parent’s relationship with their children, and a parent’s sense of competence and security. While these factors influence the healthy development of children, none of these factors are contingent on a parent’s sexual orientation.
As stated on www.usatoday.com, Dr. Benjamin Siegel, one of the writers of the AAP’s policy statement, said “Children thrive in families that are stable and that provide permanent security and the way we do that is through marriage.”
Elaborating on the AAP’s response, Siegel explained that the organization supports every couple’s right to have the economic stability and federal benefits permitted to married couples who are raising families.
What other organizations advocate for gay parenting? The following groups have offered their public support.
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- The American Medical Association
- American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
How do you feel about the American Academy of Pediatrics' support of same-sex marriage and gay parenting? Please leave a comment below.
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