Institute Update Issue 2 - May 2002

Institute publishes Europe’s biggest review of gay parenting research


By Mike Judge

A new book published by The Christian Institute finds that same-sex couples make worse parents. The book, called Children as Trophies?, represents the largest review of gay parenting ever published in Europe. The book considers 144 academic papers.
Its publication in January was timely as it coincided with calls to allow gay adoption. Groups in favour of changing the law in this way wrongly claim that homosexual parents are no worse than married parents.

Children as Trophies? made headlines around the world. Australia’s national newspapers covered the story, as did media in America. A top American paediatrics group had just announced it was no longer opposed to gay adoption. But this book provided an alternative view and helped in the national debate across the US.

The book is written by top family-policy expert, Patricia Morgan. She strongly believes in the value of stable marriage for the raising of children.

Patricia Morgan said: “If public policy is based on clear research, there is no case for changing the adoption law to allow same-sex couples or unmarried couples to be able to adopt children.”

“It is difficult to find such poor quality research as that which purports to show that same-sex parenting is as least as good if not superior to parenting by married couples.”

“In many cases the word ‘research’ is a misnomer since often the only evidence consists of collections of anecdotes. This is often advocacy parading as research.”
Colin Hart, Director of The Christian Institute said: “The overwhelming evidence is that same-sex parenting is bad for kids. Patricia Morgan’s book will be a devastating blow to those who think that any combination of adults can make good parents. The research is crystal clear: children need a male and a female role model in a permanent relationship.”

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