Gay & Lesbian Parenting Poll...

[rbone04]

GLBT Parenting Poll...

Assuming they are stable and devoted to one another for life (preferably, depending on the state--married, domestic partnership, etc.) Which couples do you think make the best parents?

Discuss... Be nice...

* Due to confusion, and the fact that I'm pretty sure most everyone's vote for Other so far was because they think parental orientation does not matter... This option has now been designated for that reason.

Not to offend but because they're less common and I failed to pay attention to details, if you would like to discuss another GLBT/alternative parenting situation (i.e., three parents) that isn't listed, PLEASE DON'T VOTE but let us know in your post. This WAS what other was for, but the opinion that orientation doesn't matter is just as valid and far more common.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Other

any couple who are stable and devoted to each other and to the welfare of the kids makes a good parent.

 

[rbone04]

any couple who are stable and devoted to each other and to the welfare of the kids makes a good parent.

Sorry the poll took a minute... And I agree 100%

 

[Safe_Bet]

"... The 17-year-old daughters and sons of lesbian mothers were rated significantly higher in social, school/academic, and total competence and significantly lower in social problems, rule-breaking, aggressive, and externalizing problem behavior than their age-matched counterparts in Achenbach's normative sample of American youth. Within the lesbian family sample, no Child Behavior Checklist differences were found among adolescent offspring who were conceived by known, as-yet-unknown, and permanently unknown donors or between offspring whose mothers were still together and offspring whose mothers had separated."

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/06/07/peds.2009-3153.abstract


'Nuff said. If anyone else can do better show me the study proving it! (and no, a study by NOM doesn't count).

 

[SquiresBoy]

Other

I'm with Stella. As long as it's a loving and happy family... There are way too many kids growing up in the system, and way too many gay and lesbian couples who are willing but unable because of archaic and ridiculous laws.

 

[warl0ck1]

I also think good parents make good parent the problem with Mother and Father families is that any 2 idiots can bread very few of them want to be parent.

most time in the case of Father Father and Mother Mother families there is a very long and well thought out discussion before there are kids. of course that is just my opinion.

 

[Safe_Bet]

Why were bisexuals excluded from this poll?

 

[rbone04]

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/06/07/peds.2009-3153.abstract


'Nuff said. If anyone else can do better show me the study proving it! (and no, a study by NOM doesn't count).

Solid find... Not surprising given the nurturing qualty mothers inherently possess.

I also think good parents make good parent the problem with Mother and Father families is that any 2 idiots can bread very few of them want to be parent.

most time in the case of Father Father and Mother Mother families there is a very long and well thought out discussion before there are kids. of course that is just my opinion.

Great point!

Why were bisexuals excluded from this poll?

Because there's no such thing.

 

[PricelessT]

...the problem with Mother and Father families is that any 2 idiots can bread very few of them want to be parent.

LOL, very few, warl0ck1?

 

[Safe_Bet]

Because there's no such thing.

All righty then! (though I think that might come as a shock to a few of them I know).

 

[NickNTime]

Other

any couple who are stable and devoted to each other and to the welfare of the kids makes a good parent.

Yes. I don't understand the point of the question.

 

[PricelessT]

All righty then! (though I think that might come as a shock to a few of them I know).

rbone04 is saying that either opposite-sex couples or same-sex couples raise children. If a person is bisexual and is part of a couple, they are still raising their child with one person. Unless the bisexual person is involved in a threesome relationship, where all three individuals are raising the child.

Unless we are also including cases where someone is raising a child with their ex and current romantic partner (ex gets the child some days, etc.).

 

[Safe_Bet]

rbone04 is saying that either opposite-sex couples or same-sex couples raise children. If a person is bisexual and is part of a couple, they are still raising their child with one person. Unless the bisexual person is involved in a threesome relationship, where all three individuals are raising the child.

Unless we are also including cases where someone is raising a child with their ex and current romantic partner (ex gets the child some days, etc.).

Ahhhhso. When he specified "straight", which is an orientation, vs. a heteronorm one man / one woman pairing (i.e. Rick Santotum's dream couple) he threw me off.

 

[rbone04]

All righty then! (though I think that might come as a shock to a few of them I know).

My response about bisexuals was a joke... This option could be included in "Other" but I felt like too many options would complicate things for the sake of kicking things off. That said, see below.

rbone04 is saying that either opposite-sex couples or same-sex couples raise children. If a person is bisexual and is part of a couple, they are still raising their child with one person. Unless the bisexual person is involved in a threesome relationship, where all three individuals are raising the child.

Unless we are also including cases where someone is raising a child with their ex and current romantic partner (ex gets the child some days, etc.).

This is how I probably should have posed the question, again to avoid complication... I chose not to, however, because I feel some might believe an understanding of the parent's sexual preferences could influence the upbringing of their child (either directly-through parental discussion, or indirectly-through the child's observations).

Also, bisexual parent(s) don't necessarily fall into the category of "same-sex marriage" and if that parent is open about his/her sexuality we have a new variable. Obviously this is moot if the parent is has remained closeted throughout the relationship with his/her SO and child.

Hence "Other" could open up any of these options for discussion as deemed necessary.

 

[rbone04]

Ahhhhso. When he specified "straight", which is an orientation, vs. a heteronorm one man / one woman pairing (i.e. Rick Santotum's dream couple) he threw me off.

Had you in mind when I made this decision, only my thought was "Hopefully this isn't going to throw Safe_Bet off the deep end"

 

[Stella_Omega]

Come to think of it, I know a couple of families where the kids have been raised by a mommy and two daddies.

One where the kids are being raised by a mommy and one female and one male daddy.

And waaaay too many families where the kids have been raised by mommy alone.

 

[LucyH]

Do people who prefer the color blue make better parents than people who favor green?

 

[warl0ck1]

LOL, very few, warl0ck1?

yes in my opinion very few want to parent. they love the idea of kids they think they are cute but when it gets to the actual point of parenting I would say less then half are willing to do what it take. the rest expect someone else to take responsibility. take that mother of the 3 year old that got kicked off the plane. if she actually parented then that child would have behaved enough to fly. or how about those parents in the restaurant that do not care that their little angel is ruining everyone else's dining experience.

 

[Safe_Bet]

yes in my opinion very few want to parent. they love the idea of kids they think they are cute but when it gets to the actual point of parenting I would say less then half are willing to do what it take. the rest expect someone else to take responsibility. take that mother of the 3 year old that got kicked off the plane. if she actually parented then that child would have behaved enough to fly. or how about those parents in the restaurant that do not care that their little angel is ruining everyone else's dining experience.

The same people that bitch about kids in a restaurant are the same ones who NEVER say shit about a bunch of drunken business men making asses of themselves at the next table over.

Granted, everyone should be at least quasi-respectful, but it always seems to be damn one sided.

 

[PricelessT]

My response about bisexuals was a joke...

I'd figured that was the more likely case when I was typing my response to Safe_Bet, but I decided to post anyway. I knew you'd clarify.

This is how I probably should have posed the question, again to avoid complication... I chose not to, however, because I feel some might believe an understanding of the parent's sexual preferences could influence the upbringing of their child (either directly-through parental discussion, or indirectly-through the child's observations).

Also, bisexual parent(s) don't necessarily fall into the category of "same-sex marriage"...

I don't understand what you mean about the couple not necessarily falling into the category of same-sex marriage. If the couple are of the same sex, they fall into the category of same-sex relationships (whether married or not, except for transgender cases where biological sex is trumped by gender identity). If married, they are even placed under the category of "gay marriage," despite only one or neither identifying as gay, because "gay marriage" is a blanket term for all same-sex marriages.

 

[rbone04]

...I don't understand what you mean about the couple not necessarily falling into the category of same-sex marriage. If the couple are of the same sex, they fall into the category of same-sex relationships (whether married or not, except for transgender cases where biological sex is trumped by gender identity). If married, they are even placed under the category of "gay marriage," despite only one or neither identifying as gay, because "gay marriage" is a blanket term for all same-sex marriages.

Like I mentioned... What if the parents are OPENLY bisexual? Regardless of the current situation, the kid may become aware of forms of intimacy that their parents embrace but contrast what they witness in the household. What if it's more complex?... See below:

Come to think of it, I know a couple of families where the kids have been raised by a mommy and two daddies.

One where the kids are being raised by a mommy and one female and one male daddy.

And waaaay too many families where the kids have been raised by mommy alone.

Since blanketed statements are unfortunate reality, and because I could never determine all the possible family settings out there, my intentions were to leave the "Other" option for those who might be familiar with these outlying instances to bring it up. I figure they have the most valid insight anyways. However, I'm sure speculation on theoretical situations could get interesting.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Like I mentioned... What if the parents are OPENLY bisexual? Regardless of the current situation, the kid may become aware of forms of intimacy that their parents embrace but contrast what they witness in the household. What if it's more complex?... See below:

Well, that's a slightly different issue I think.

 

[PricelessT]

Like I mentioned... What if the parents are OPENLY bisexual? Regardless of the current situation, the kid may become aware of forms of intimacy that their parents embrace but contrast what they witness in the household. What if it's more complex?

I'm still not seeing how that can make a same-sex couple not a same-sex couple or a same-sex marriage not a same-sex marriage. If "same-sex" was only referring to sexual orientation, then yeah. But that's not the case. It's referring to all couples of the same sex (whether gay males, gay females or couples who aren't gay but are of the same sex).

 

[rbone04]

I'm still not seeing how that can make a same-sex couple not a same-sex couple or a same-sex marriage not a same-sex marriage. If "same-sex" was only referring to sexual orientation, then yeah. But that's not the case. It's referring to all couples of the same sex (whether gay males, gay females or couples who aren't gay but are of the same sex).

You're exactly right. Not sure what made you think this isn't what I have been saying all along. This is the confusion I was trying to avoid and why I never used the terms same/opposite-sex to describe the marriages in the OP. These blanket statements don't consider the impact (or lack thereof) orientation other than gay/straight would have. It's wide open for interpretation.

 

[rbone04]

Well, that's a slightly different issue I think.

Which is fine. I think the OP made it sound more cut and dry than I meant for it to be. Different issues were expected when I left it so open ended.