The No Difference Theory is Correct

Thank you for your speedy reply. We couldn't be further apart on the social issues so it is a pleasure to be getting to debate you on this topic.I. Self EsteemMy opponent's source of Robert Lerner and Althea K. Nagai's book is not a reliabls source. They are not serious baout the standards they used to reject gay-parenting studies. This is evidence in the fact that they have not taken these standards serious in their own works. [1] Second, my opponent cites the issues of the dates. This does not refute the argument. The APA reported in June of 2012 (this year) that "there are no scientific evidnece that parenting effectiveness is related to parental sexual orientation." (Emphasis mine) [2]. Moreover, this is from "a remarkably consistent body of research on lesbian and gay parents and their children." Another study by the Louisiana State University stated that "[N]ot a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents." (Emphasis mine) [3]II. Commitment My opponent misses the point entirely. My point is to show that there are cases in which same-sex parents are just as committed if not more committed than parents of traditional relationships. Perhaps the reason for the small sampling size is the small number of same-sex parents. "There's no doubt whatsoever from the research that children with two lesbian parents are growing up to be just as well-adjusted and successful" as children with a male and a female parent," [4] III. Social Behaviour The APA reports "Results of social science research have failed to confirm any of these concerns about children of lesbian and gay parents (Patterson, 2000, 2004a; Perrin, 2002; Tasker, 1999). Research suggests that sexual identities (including gender identity, gender-role behavior, and sexual orientation) develop in much the same ways among children of lesbian mothers as they do among children of heterosexual parents (Patterson, 2004a). Studies of other aspects of personal development (including personality, self-concept, and conduct) similarly reveal few differences between children of lesbian mothers and children of heterosexual parents (Perrin, 2002; Stacey & Biblarz, 2001; Tasker, 1999). However, few data regarding these concerns are available for children of gay fathers (Patterson, 2004b). Evidence also suggests that children of lesbian and gay parents have normal social relationships with peers and adults (Patterson, 2000, 2004a; Perrin, 2002; Stacey & Biblarz, 2001; Tasker, 1999; Tasker & Golombok, 1997). The picture that emerges from research is one of general engagement in social life with peers, parents, family members, and friends. Fears about children of lesbian or gay parents being sexually abused by adults, ostracized by peers, or isolated in single-sex lesbian or gay communities have received no scientific support. Overall, results of research suggest that the development, adjustment, and well-being of children with lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from that of children with heterosexual parents." [5] The study that my opponent cited is also seriously flawed. The trouble is, this is not what Regnerus' study shows. Not by a long shot. And the claims he makes play into a long-standing pattern of conservative scholars and activists misinterpreting the data on LGBT families. While Regnerus critiques "same-sex couples" raising kids, his study does not actually compare children raised by same-sex couples with those raised by different-sex couples. The criterion it uses is whether a parent "ever ha[d] a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex." In fact, only a small proportion of its sample spent more than a few years living in a household headed by a same-sex couple. Indeed, the study acknowledges that what it's really comparing with heterosexual families is not families headed by a same-sex couple but households in which parents broke up. "A failed heterosexual union," Regnerus writes in the study, "is clearly the modal method" — the most common characteristic for the group that he lumps in with same-sex-headed households. For example, most of the respondents who said their mothers had a lesbian relationship also endured the searing experience of having their mothers leave the household as the family collapsed. [6] In other words, the person my opponent cited concluded that when families endure a shattering separation, it is likely to shatter the lives of those in them. How does this study show that there is any difference between same-sex parenting and traditional parenting?Apologies, but I'm out of time. I've been super busy these past few days. Sorry my bibliographies are not as formal as they should be. I look forward to the final round._____________________________________ References1. For more information on these standards, see http://tinyurl.com...;2. http://tinyurl.com...;3. Ibid 4. http://tinyurl.com...;5. Paige, R. U. (2005). Proceedings of the American Psychological Association, Incorporated, for the legislative year 2004. Minutes of the meeting of the Council of Representatives July 28 & 30, 2004, Honolulu, HI. Retrieved November 18, 2004, from the World Wide Web http://www.apa.org...;. (To be published in Volume 60, Issue Number 5 of the American Psychologist.)6. http://tinyurl.com...;