single-parent families? What about people raised by their grandparents? Step-families? Inter-racial families? Why not just accept that a "family" isn't mum, dad and 2.4 children living in some kind of heterosexual, suburban utopia and accept that some people and their fmilies are different? Not better. Not worse. Just different. MJLC : 16 May 2012 1:25:54pm I see not reading posts properly before commenting is de rigueur here - and you're just the latest Carl, so let me just draw to your attention that my use of the term "evidence" in the initial post pertained to what extent the opinions expressed by the authors replicated the total sample. @Lee C made a very good point about the unsuitability of many heterosexual families as places for children to be raised in - something I agreed with from personal experience (and so, if the mood took me, I could mount a credible case for re-examining the merits of heterosexual family units based on my own upbringing alone), yet reply after reply contains total assuredness, an absence of divergent opinion, and a desire to talk over anyone who assumes it may exist. The best way to gain an understanding of an issue is to give people a chance to express a contrary opinion, not tell someone that contrary opinion may be found on page whatever of a survey. An interesting exercise for you would be to gather up the opinions expressed here by people from same-sex families and see whether they replicate the spread