Study says
same-sex-marriage bans harm children

A new report from
the American Academy of Pediatrics is confirming what
same-sex marriage advocates have been saying for
years—that marriage equality can only help
the children of gay parents. The academy studied all
three variations on state-recognized same-sex unions and
found that "simply put, same-gender civil marriage harms no
one, whereas prohibiting civil marriage for gays and
lesbians harms these couples and their children."
Gay-rights advocates say that while the study
probably won't silence the harshest critics of
same-sex marriage, it will still make a big
difference. "I think that opponents of marriage will
continue to cite bogus studies and unreliable experts,
but I think what this report can do is speak to people
who have an open mind, and people who are in a
position to make a decision about legislation or cases,"
Carisa Cunningham, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts
group Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, said.
In particular, Cunningham cited the case of
seven Connecticut couples who are suing for the right
to marry, in which the conservative Family Institute
of Connecticut intervened in order to present evidence of
how same-sex marriage harms children. She said this
study could dent the institute's credibility.
The study appears in the July edition of the
Academy's journal Pediatrics. (Sirius OutQ News)