Raising a child is all about having the capacity to love and care for him or her unconditionally and properly.

This means giving the child the sense of security that you love him or her no matter what and having all the resources to provide for him or her from birth until he/she can function successfully and happily in the adult world. While tradition says it takes a man and a woman to successfully raise a child, this is not necessarily the case.

There is no guarantee that any randomly selected man and woman couple has what it takes to successfully bring a child into this world and raise them to be happy, functioning and successful adults.

Two adults (of any persuasion) who love each other and have financial and other necessary means are much more likely to raise a child successfully than a man and woman who do not love each other and do not have the right resources to raise the child.

Some Thoughts on Same-Sex Parenting

Same-sex parents have just as much capacity to love as different-sex parents. Same-sex parents are empathetic and sympathetic to bullying as many of them have experienced it first hand. It is logical that they would be well-equipped to navigate their child through this situation.

• Same-sex parents are just likely to stay together as different-sex parents. In many parts of the western world, the divorce rate between men and women is high. Children of same-sex partnerships can enjoy the stability of having two parents raise them.

Children Raised by Same-Sex Parents are Happy

Research conducted at the University of Melbourne by Dr Crouch, who raises two children with his male homosexual partner, has revealed that children from same-sex families fare better off than children raised by heterosexual couples. A study involving 315 same-sex parents and 500 children revealed that these kids score 6 points more with regards to cohesion and general well being than children from traditional male and female parents. He also found that:

• Because there is less stereotyping with same-sex parents, the parents can play to their strengths, and this makes for a happier child.
• There is also much more role sharing in same-sex partnerships than in traditional marriages.
• Children in these families learn that it is okay for everyone to earn income and for everyone to muck in with the housework. It teaches them that everyone has to contribute equally in the home.

The AIFS (Australian Institute of Family Studies) has revealed that children from gay parents fare just as well as kids from heterosexual parents.

The report concluded that loving children is more important than having a traditional family structure in the home. Gay parents are more plugged in than their heterosexual counterparts and are more adept at problem-solving according to the report. This is because gay parents can provide more love. Same-sex parents can teach their children about resilience as they are used to being intimidated

Whether a child is raised in a heterosexual or gay environment, there is no doubt that he or she needs to be loved, cared for, nurtured, educated, fed, stimulated and raised to function in the adult world. Perhaps there should be an adequate screening process in place before parents procreate or adopt children.