More on landmark study that upholds the value of a mother and a father

Last week we sent you an article about the University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus’s landmark New Family Structures Study. The paper sets a new standard that statistically shows that for social science research into the critical question “How different are the adult children of parents who have same-sex relationships?” The answer, as any good social scientist must say, is “it depends.”

But, when comparing the children of biological mother-father families to those with a mother who had engaged in a same-sex relationship, Regnerus found statistically-significant differences on 24 of 40 outcomes, including educational attainment, depression, unemployment, relationship fidelity, and marijuana use.

For more commentary and analysis of the New Family Structures Study, including a piece by the study’s author, visit these five links:

Q & A with Mark Regnerus

I don’t think it easily lends itself to one particular answer to any of the politicized questions that are circulating about gay marriage, or parental rights, etc. What it comprises is significant, new, high-quality information on the long reach of household structure in the lives of American young people.

A Mom and a Dad Make a Difference

The clear takeaway from the research is confirmation that a married mom and dad make a positive difference in the life of a child.

New Research on Children of Same-Sex Parents

In other words, the study compared respondents who were identical on these characteristics, except for parental relationship status.

The Kids Aren’t All Right

The widely circulated claim that parents engaged in same-sex relationships do just as well as other parents at raising children—a claim widely known today as the “no differences” thesis—is not settled science.

What the Social Sciences Can (and Can’t) Tell Us About Gay Unions

We ought to be very careful before deploying this study in an argument amongst friends.