July 24, 2013
Study: Kids With Gay Parents Healthier Than Peers
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Gays could be good parents; actually, they could even be better parents than heterosexual couples, results from an Australian study show.
"Child Health in Same-Sex Families," a study conducted at Melbourne University, concluded that kids with gay parents are actually happier and healthier than their peers, Pink News reports.
Researchers analyzed data from around the country between the ages 5 and 17, focusing on the children's mental, physical, and social well being. The study also interviewed 315 GLB parents, asking them to complete the Child Health Questionnaire.
Children raised by gay parents scored significantly higher in terms of family cohesion and general health than did children raised by straight parents. On the negative side, the study also revealed that children of gay and lesbian parents are more likely to encounter discrimination based on their parents' sexual orientation.
"One of our hypotheses is that this experience of discrimination does have an impact on child health and well being," said Dr. Simon Crouch, the lead researcher on the study, who is a gay father of four-year-old twin boys.
The Australian study counters a study made in the U.S. by a sociology professor that concluded that gays could not make for good parents.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
