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Jacob Anderson
Gardner
H. English 10, 6th period
9 March 2016
Open Minds; Open Arms
Love your neighbor as yourself. - Mark 12:31
This Biblical quote, widely regarded as one of the most well known quotes in the world, is
perhaps the single most significant rule that all of humanity is advised to follow. So why then does
it seem right to some to discriminate against or limit somebody simply based on who they love?
Does this hateful and prejudiced mindset not explicitly contrast with one of the most important
commandments in the Bible? Today, this discriminatory attitude is focused mainly on one thing:
gay adoption. Gay adoption is where a child is adopted and parented by a same-sex couple. It is
currently legal in all 50 states; however, the act is still looked down upon by many who believe
that it should be illegal. This disagreement is mostly rooted in religious standpoints and
misconceptions concerning the topic at hand. This issue is particularly important because it is used
as an extreme form of discrimination and refuses gay couples the same rights that heterosexual
couples have, forbidding them from building a family solely based on who they love. In
Mississippi, same sex couples were prohibited from jointly petitioning to adopt up until April 1 of
this year, making gay adoption legal all throughout the USA (Lowenberg). As long as parents
provide their child with the love and proper support they require, the sexual orientation or gender
identity of the parents should not be a concern to the child's well being, and will in no way
negatively impact the child; in fact, it is proven that the children of homosexual parents are raised
to be confident and to foster tolerance, and that gay parents tend to be more motivated and
committed to their children than heterosexual parents are.

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Many traditional, conservative, Christians believe that marriage is strictly between a man
and a woman, that the act of homosexuality is a sin, and that a child adopted by a couple whose
genders happen to be the same will experience negative effects as a direct result of the sexual
orientation of their parents. Over 150 children with homosexual parents have provided, in
extensive interviews, detailed evidence of the difficulties they encountered as a result. In fortyeight of the fifty-two families, children mentioned at least one "problem" they had encountered
while being raised by gay parents. Of the 213 problems which were scored--including
hypersexuality, instability, molestation, domestic violence--children attributed 201 (94 percent) to
their homosexual parent(s) (Cameron). Many of those opposed to gay adoption believe
homosexuality is a disease rather than a sexual orientation; they believe that it is not only curable
but contagious, and that a child raised in a setting where homosexuality is present will endure
damaging repercussions, both mental and physical. Others who are against gay adoption think that
a child raised by two men or two women will not receive the proper care they need, and that a
child requires a maternal and paternal figure in order to function and develop essential skills and
abilities. Most of these oppositions are deeply rooted within religion, the same religions that teach
us that we must treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of who they are or what they have
done.
Admittedly, same sex adoption and homosexuality in general do greatly conflict with
many people's personal and religious beliefs. Studies show, however, that children raised by
parents of the same sex often display greater levels of confidence in themselves than their peers do.
According to Australias University of Melbourne, children of homosexual parents are no worse
off than the children of heterosexual parents in terms of their emotional condition and in some
cases are even happier and healthier than their peers (Corregan). In a 2010 study published in the
journal Pediatrics, researchers examined the children of planned lesbian families, and like other

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studies of lesbian mothers, this one found no significant differences from straight parents in
childrens developmental and social behavior. However, the children raised by gay parents were
found to be more confident than the children of heterosexual parents. According to the research,
active involvement by parents may explain the self-esteem boost (Pappas, "5 Scientific Reasons
Gay Parents Are Awesome"). Based on this study, it can be concluded that children who are
parented by homosexual couples will not become warped or experience negative effects as a
result of their parents sexualities. In fact, the only negative factor in the lives of children raised by
same-sex parents is the stigma and discrimination they receive because of their parents sexual
orientation.
Not only do the children of gay parents tend to have more confidence than those of
straight parents, but they show more tolerance, acceptance, and open-mindedness towards issues
and concepts that heterosexual parents are more likely to misunderstand or look down upon. The
University of Melbourne used the evidence found in their studies to suggest that gay couples make
better parents, positing that the disparity is caused by the fact that gay couples create partnerships
and households built on equality - specifically, gender equality, and that same-sex parents are
often more equitable when it comes to things like child-rearing, household chores and overall
relationship maintenance (Corregan). In addition, an American Journal of Orthopsychiatry study
published in 2007 interviewed 46 adults who were raised in a household with at least one gay
parent. Over half (twenty-eight) of these interviewees claimed they felt growing up in an
environment with same-sex parents ultimately made them more tolerant and accepting later in life
(Pappas, "5 Scientific Reasons Gay Parents Are Awesome"). From these branches of research, it
can be concluded that the children of gay parents suffer no negative social impacts because of their
upbringings, and they are even raised to be more open-minded in life. As a result of these values
and morals taught at an early age, same-sex couples with adopted children create a healthier,

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stronger, and more loving environment, both within their own home and in their community, and
also send their children out into the world with open minds and arms.
While the children of same-sex parents are raised to be more confident and tolerant, there
is also a much greater chance that their parents will be more invested in their lives and have more
of their time dedicated to their childrens lives. According to a study published in 2011, forty-nine
percent--almost half--of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, many of these
pregnancies occurring in teens aged anywhere from 15 to 19. These pregnancies ultimately either
end in abortions or children who do not receive the proper care and support they need
("Unintended Pregnancy Prevention"). In contrast, more often than not, gay couples plan
extensively to have or adopt children, overcoming biological limits to adopt, find surrogates or
sperm donors, or using in vitro fertilization methods, (Pappas, "5 Scientific Reasons Gay Parents
Are Awesome") persevering through any challenge in order to start their family. A study conducted
by the Urban Institute published in 2007 found that more than half of the gay men and almost half
of the lesbians in the U.S. would like to adopt at some point in their lives. David Brodzinsky, a
research director at the Institute and co-editor of Adoption By Lesbians and Gay Men: A New
Dimension of Family Diversity, explains: When you think about the 114,000 children who are
freed for adoption who continue to live in foster care and who are not being readily adopted, the
goal is to increase the pool of available, interested and well-trained individuals to parent these
children (Pappas, "Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents.") Similarly, Abbie Goldberg, a
psychologist at Clark University who studies gay and lesbian parenting, reveals that homosexual
parents tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average,
because they chose to be parents" (Pappas, "5 Scientific Reasons Gay Parents Are Awesome").
Since gay parents are far more likely to plan their families, their children are more likely to receive
the appropriate nurturing and attention they need in order to excel in the social, mental,

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educational, and physical aspects of their lives. The children of same-sex parents are brought up in
environments where they feel not only safer and happier, but are also taught values and lessons
that will help them to better raise their children in the future, therefore contributing to a more
positive and loving family and community.
Although there are many who do not agree, there is no mistaking that gay adoption is
ultimately beneficial to the adopted children, not only because they are raised to be confident and
open-minded, but also because they are more likely to have more committed and dedicated parents
than their peers. There is no sound evidence that children raised by homosexual couples will
experience any detrimental or negative effects, neither emotionally nor physically. Same-sex
parents not only give their children the required support and stability they need in their lives, but
also prepare them for the ever-changing and evolving world by building families on equality and
teaching them the importance of tolerance. They create loving families for their children and also
help contribute to a more positive and welcoming community by spreading messages and values of
self-confidence and acceptance. With an open mind comes an open heart, and regardless of sexual
orientation, parents should meet their children with outstretched arms and a warm embrace.

Works Cited
Cameron, Paul, and Ellen C. Perrin. "Q: Does Adoption by Gay or Lesbian Couples Put
American Children..." Insight on the News. 22 Apr. 2002: 40-43. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06
May 2016.
Corregan, Shannon. "Remove Same-Sex Adoption Hurdles." Times-Colonist. 18 Jul. 2014:
A.11. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 05 May 2016.
Lowenberg, Olivia. "Federal Judge Strikes Down Last State Law Barring Gay Couples..."
Christian Science Monitor. 01 Apr. 2016: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 May 2016.

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Pappas, Stephanie. "5 Scientific Reasons Gay Parents Are Awesome." LiveScience.
TechMedia Network, 21 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 May 2016.
---. "Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 15
Jan. 2012. Web. 06 May 2016.
"Unintended Pregnancy Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 Jan. 2015. Web. 06 May 2016.