3 Really Pernicious Messages behind the “Lesbians Make Better Parents” Story line

My last post dealt with the sampling and reporting problems associated with the latest study purporting to show that the children of lesbians are doing just fine. The fact is, that the study claims that the children of lesbians are doing better in every dimension than the children in the general population. The underlying message of this story is not simply, “leave us alone to have kids the way we want.”

Herewith, are the 3 Really Pernicious Messages behind the “Lesbians Make Better Parents” Story line:

1. Women are better parents than men. Therefore, two women are better for kids than a mother and a father. Men are unnecessary and possibly dangerous.
2. 2. The only problems that the children of lesbians experience are really caused by straight society.
3. 3. The children of lesbian parents were intensely planned and deeply wanted. Therefore, manufacturing children through Donor Insemination is superior to conceiving children through an act of sexual intercourse.

Ask yourself if you really believe any one of these messages. Ask yourself if you really want to create a society in which people believe, or are required to act as if they believe, these messages.

I hope Dr J forgives me for reprinting the whole thing. As noted in the link, she's done a great job (along with our own Playful Walrus) to discredit the study on its own merits.

I think these points are particularly insidious, but so obvious at the same time. While we can dig deeper and find that the fallacies of the study are many, the most potential for harm is written on the face of it. What it says about marriage, from here on out, is what I primarily find reason for concern.