On June 1, 2012, K-Mart released an ad for a Father’s Day sale. The video, which would normally be unrecognizable from the many others, however held a certain twist. It featured two real-life gay dads with their children. The father’s day ad, not surprisingly, sparked controversy between already bickering conservative groups and the growing Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning (LGBTQ). With both groups constantly attacking the other, it raises the question, are children being raised by gay or lesbian parents negatively affected?

The answer would be a positive no. And as days go by the evidence gets stronger.

Studies have shown that children raised in gay homes will turn out just as successful, and stable, as any other child. They will even reap the benefits. One study showed that the children actually “had high levels of positive social interaction, high school/academic success, and total competence and fewer social problems, rule-breaking, and aggressive behavior.” (Freidman, pg. 25)

Continuing on, the fact that these children are going to be more open and social completely counteracts “Children with gay and lesbian parents will be social outcasts!” most anti-gay parenting use to shield themselves (Science Direct). Well it is true that they may get made fun of, so do 90 percent of children in grades K-12 (Kids Health). It can be assumed that if not for that, they would be being made fun of for something else. Even if they were only being alienated for their parents, there are support groups, the most popular being COLAGE (Children of Lesbian and Gays) which allows them to meet and talk with other kids in their same situation.

It is also possible to point out that, as a general rule gay parents are more committed parents. This sprouts from the fact that, unlike the stars of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant”, they want to have children. For same sex couples, having a child is long and pricey path. Men would need a surrogate mother to deliver their child for them, which costs around 60,000 dollars. (Circle Surrogacy) For woman, they need to acquire embryos, and have a transplant, which, with the full treatments cost around 10,000 dollars. With all the treatments and surgeries you need to go through for this, it can take around 18 months to even start (Embryo Adoption). They also have to jump through more hoops in order to be parents, undergoing different screenings to make sure that they can be suitable parents (Embryo Adoption). However, wouldn’t a happy couple always be more capable than a teenager and her baby daddy?

Most Christian groups fear that with gay parents, the children will feel the need to join a life of “sinful” sexual orientation also. While parents influence children, there is something to be said for the fact that straight parents do not only raise straight children. Most children of gay and lesbians do, however, feel more open to explore their sexual orientation, but are not pressured to feel one way or another (Snow, pg. 42). Most would agree that it is better to find out during your teen years than when you are already married, which could lead to a painful divorce and custody battle, which would negatively affect a child.

A family is, by definition, a group of people who are closely related by birth, marriage, or adoption. The fact that a child might have two daddies or two mommies won’t drastically hurt the child, or make them any less capable. The fact being, what children really need are love and support, and whether straight or gay, a family thrives together.