CHILDREN AND GAY MARRIAGE
The gay marriage issue continues to stir a surge of debate in the country and part of that debate questions the parenting skills of same-sex couples.
In his elaborate piece in the “Issues” section of the Cape Argus (Monday, October 23), Andrew Bateman of His People Christian Church, made un-supported and misinformed claims that children raised by same-sex parents “will be the losers if law is changed.”
“‘Equal status’ might relieve some hardship for homosexuals but will cause greater suffering for our youth and children,” he wrote.
However, a research report issued by Dr. Ellen C. Perrin, professor of pediatrics at Tuft University School of Medicine in Boston asserts that the “vast consensus of all studies [on same-sex parenting] shows that children of same-sex parents do as well as children whose parents are heterosexual in every way.”
She says, “In some ways children of same-sex parents actually may have advantages over other family structures.”
In his piece, Bateman attempts to support his biased and prejudiced statement by claiming that even the “French parliament has recognised that it may place children at risk to be raised by same-sex couples and has accordingly denied them the right to adopt or ‘marry.’”
In February of this year, the Cour de Cassation [French High Court] approved the rights of homosexual parents to extend parental rights to their partners, provided that the couple is in a stable union, the Associated Press reported.
“The court also noted that parental rights include the responsibilities for protecting children and caring for their health, welfare and education.”
Haphazard reports and statements such as Bateman’s pose a serious danger to the moral fibre of our society, as they push unbalanced agendas, mislead and unfairly influence society.
“The main causes of suffering in same-sex families emanate from prejudiced and intolerant elements of our society…”
The South African Constitutional Court considered expert advice with great scrutiny, when it decided that same-sex couples were capable of parenting and rendered irrelevant the arguments that same-sex parents are unable to raise children.
The legalisation of same-sex marriages will further provide children with a secured, stable and healthy environment for development. Some experts believe that a key factor in their development lies in the character and worth of family relationships rather than with the structure of their families.
As Dr. Perrin puts it, “if there is a problem being a child in a family made up of same-sex parents, it doesn’t come from the child or the family but from the society around them.”
Successful same-sex marriages will go a long way towards changing attitudes and normalising same-sex relationships in the eyes of mainstream society. This is one of the primary arguments for law reform in the case of unfair discrimination that marginalises or “others” a group of people; It starts to impact on the levels of prejudice experienced by those who are gay, as well as those associated with gay families.
Triangle Project supports and re-affirms that the biggest problem around this issue is social attitude. The main causes of suffering in such families emanate from prejudiced and intolerant elements of our society, such as Andrew Bateman, not from the actual structure of a stable same-sex family.
Vista Kalipa: Media Co-ordinator – Triangle Project
Cape Town based Triangle Project is the country’s oldest LGBT services organisation.
Marriage and Adoption. I am disgusted but not surprised at the comments that Andrew Bateman nakes with regards to same-sex couples adopting children. I think he represents a large part of our society in SA although there has been great support coming another part of the South African community.
Our country is becoming ever densely populated with children on the streets. This promotes even more injustices and crimes committed against these vulnarable young ones. They engage in a lot of activities that ruins and destroys their will to live and dream of a better life.
It pains me our society does not want to work together in trying toi save these young ones.
At the same timne I believe how we represent and how we are represented on the media gives the impression that ALL of us are unstable in our lifestyles. It’s a shame that same-sex couples particularly gay men, will have to go through scrutinized and sometimes unfair probation procedures for a number of years before the law gives in to them adopting. It’s inderstandable that most of these procedures have to be followed for the safety of the child but at times it becomes such a monstrous process that one ends up not even getting to take the child home at the end of it all.
But I trust that the law is changing as we recognize that we need to change and be who we are and not just part of the glamourous lifestyles that we always try to project.
Andrew Bateman’s comments. This man is a prime example of desperate clutching at straws. To blatantly ignore scientific and social studies carried out at reputable universities to “support” your point of belief is nothing short of idiotic. Furthrmore, to bring in the lives of children as a means of denying people the right to give love to those same children to put a feather in the hat of your argument is contradictory. If Mr Bateman was indeed truly concerned about the well being of the children of South Africa he would embrace the fact that many gay people see adoption as a viable option. If more people in South Africa were to adopt we would have fewer children living in strife due to factors such as HIV/AIDS. It is clear to me that this man is only interested in forcing his misguided and misleading point of view down our throats. He is a hypocrite and a bigot, not a man concerned with the well being of children, or the people of this nation.
Andrew Bateman’s comments. This man is a prime example of desperate clutching at straws. To blatantly ignore scientific and social studies carried out at reputable universities to “support” your point of belief is nothing short of idiotic. Furthrmore, to bring in the lives of children as a means of denying people the right to give love to those same children to put a feather in the hat of your argument is contradictory. If Mr Bateman was indeed truly concerned about the well being of the children of South Africa he would embrace the fact that many gay people see adoption as a viable option. If more people in South Africa were to adopt we would have fewer children living in strife due to factors such as HIV/AIDS. It is clear to me that this man is only interested in forcing his misguided and misleading point of view down our throats. He is a hypocrite and a bigot, not a man concerned with the well being of children, or the people of this nation.