Gays should be allowed to have children

== Introduction == Many thanks to my opponent for challenging me to this debate. Hopefully I can change your mind :) I'd like to note that the resolution states whether or not gays should be allowed to have children. I'm assuming it also refers to gays being allowed to adopt children. However note that Con has the burden of explaining why gay people should not be allowed to biologically conceive, and if they do, that their children should be forcibly taken away from them. That's what the word "allowed" in the resolution implies. == Arguments == 1. Homophobia Homosexuals are not depraved; being gay is not a mental disorder. Most are fully functioning members of society. For all intents and purposes, homosexuals are fundamentally equal to their heterosexual counterparts outside of their sexual endeavors. There are no distinct qualifications for becoming a parent; however, most would suggest that a good parent possess the following characteristics: responsible, capable, loving, trustworthy, mature, etc. None of these qualities are exclusive to heterosexuals. As such, why would a gay person necessarily make a bad parent? Con does not argue as such, so it would appear that she agrees a gay person could be just as good if not better than heterosexual parents. It would seem that whom a person sleeps with is a personal choice that should have no bearing on their qualification for parenting. As such, it would be wrong to deny gay couples the same parenting rights as people in society. To do so would be to exhibit blatant homophobia, or the idea that gay people would somehow make inferior parents based on logic and evidence to the contrary. The only way to eradicate this absurd ideal would be exposure. People need to see that gay people are just as competent as straight people in being good parents. Moreover, exposure to the homosexual lifestyle would decrease homophobia and other bigotry in general. By allowing gay parents to continue having children, we are slowly chipping away at the hatred and intolerance that still plagues our society. 2. Parenting Trends Parenting is in no way limited to a child's biological mother and father. In fact, 1/3 of children in America are not raised in two-parent households [1]. Plus, the 2000 U. S. Census reports that 33% of lesbian couples, and 22% of gay male couples have at least one child under the age of 18 living in the home [2]. These statistics show us that the norms of society are changing; many children are indeed being raised by single parents or non-biological parents, including gay couples. Con would have the burden of proving that this is detrimental to these children and society at large. 3. Orphans There are currently 16.2 million double-orphans in the world today (children who have lost both of their parents) [3]. Rather than provide these millions of children with the opportunity to be raised in presumably loving and stable homes - as adoption agencies have criteria that applicant parents have to meet in order to be able to adopt - Con would rather have these children remain homeless and without families. Again, Con has the burden of proving that this is a better option than allowing gay parents to adopt. Furthermore, even on a CBA (cost benefit analysis), it would be more appropriate for these orphans to be placed into homes, as tax payers are currently burdened to care for these unfortunate children. 4. Kids With Gay Parents - Feelings Here is where I'll provide my rebuttal to Con's lone contention ~ that gay parents should not be allowed to have children, because their kids might be embarrassed and have their popularity ruined. I have two responses. First, ensuring a child's school popularity is not a parental responsibility. Children also get teased if their parents are fat, poor, ugly or stupid and yet these people are not specifically prohibited from having children. Second, I could just as easily cite people who don't mind having gay parents, and as such, Con's contention would be negated based on subjectivity. Jessey Levey, a Republican activist notes, "I am a well-adjusted heterosexual whose upbringing proves that love, not gender, makes a family... My family had strong family values. I was raised in a loving, caring household that let me be a free thinker... I'm tired of hearing that their family isn't legitimate" [4]. I encourage Con to research children with gay parents online and read their stories; almost all of them contain POSITIVE feedback. The only ones that don't are from children whose parents have come out of the closet later on in life. In other words, they pretended to be straight and married heterosexually until they could no longer live up to that lie. I posit that it would be most beneficial for everyone if people could be open and honest about their sexuality from the beginning. Allowing gays to marry and have (adopt) children are the first steps towards overcoming homophobia and discouraging this type of dishonesty that hurts others later in life. 5. Kids With Gay Parents - Statistics Dr. Ellen Perrin reveals, "The vast consensus of all the studies shows that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way -- In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures -- They did better in discipline, self-esteem, and had less psychosocial difficulties at home and at school [2]." The same source also notes two other large studies finding that same-sex parents also had contact with extended family, social support, and had a more equitable division of labor in the home which led to a better up-bringing for the child. Another study by USC sociologists says children with gay parents show more empathy for social diversity and are less confined by stereotypes. The study also indicates that sexual orientation has no measurable effect on the quality of parent-child relationships or on the mental health of children. Additionally, there are even some advantages to having lesbian parents. For instance, a female couple tends to be more involved in the children's lives and is in greater harmony in terms of parenting approaches. It has also been noted that daughters with lesbian mothers are more likely to reject gender stereotypes and take interest in things typically considered masculine, i.e. sports and the fields of math and science [5]. == Conclusion == Gay people have every right to adopt children. There is nothing that heterosexual parents can offer that homosexuals cannot, except for maybe a "traditional" family. However, a traditional family is not necessarily better and some studies indicate the opposite. Moreover, what is traditional is subject to change; norms in society are transient and determine tradition. Further, there is nothing prohibiting gay couples to have children of their own (via surrogate mothers, artificial insemination, etc.) and Con hasn't explained how to go about stopping these people from having children or why it is society's right/obligation to do so. Con's lone contention has been negated twice over. A lot of orphans have no problem being adopted by gay parents in comparison to the alternatives. Interviews of children with gay parents and studies alike both conclude that having homosexual parents is NOT detrimental to one's well-being or mental health and stability. In fact, children with gay parents often excel. The resolution has been affirmed. == References == [1] http://www.childstats.gov... [2] http://www.webmd.com... [3] http://answers.google.com... [4] http://www.cnn.com... [5] http://www.narth.com... Thanks again, Con.