Here it is: another article on the recent Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges, which determined that states are no longer permitted to ban same-sex marriage. Everyone in the United States knows that gay marriage is now legal, but many are unaware of the courtroom events that resulted in this advancement for the U.S. Whether you agree with the decision or not (if you do not, I highly suggest you skip this article – I would feel terrible if you were offended by words of reason), it is important that all of the U.S. knows about the conversations that occurred during the historic courtroom decision and how they eventually led to the legalization of gay marriage in America.
The vote on gay marriage was pretty slim – 5 judges were in favor, while 4 judges disagreed. Though the discussion included many topics of debate, the children of gay couples were a major issue that the Supreme Court discussed. In a major study published in 2012 by Mark Regnerus, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, it was concluded that children who are raised with homosexual parents do not turn out as well as children with heterosexual parents. This study boasted a large sample group and extensive data collection. Naturally, politicians and public figures that were against legalization of gay marriage have cited it tirelessly.
Pretending to care about the future of America’s children is a pretty genius way to further a political agenda, but this façade was completely shut down during the Supreme Court battle for equality. The study by Regnerus had a plethora of flaws that conservatives conveniently omitted. According to BuzzFeed News, only two out of the 3,000 children in the study with homosexual parents did not come from a divorced family. Divorce has been studied continuously throughout our age, and it has been known to contribute to problems with healthy emotional development in children. That is a significant confounding variable that Regnerus conveniently left out of his extensive study. It cannot be concluded if those children were suffering because their parents had gotten divorced, or if it was because their parents are homosexual.
The credibility of this study was not the only aspect that was questioned extensively. Earlier this month, a much more comprehensive, unbiased study was published that analyzed thousands of same-sex couples and their children. Evidence had been compiled since 1977, and the results are almost irrefutable, or at least infinitely more statistically significant than the previous UT Austin study. This study had very clear results – the sexual orientation of parents does not affect the health, happiness or success of their children.
However, discrimination, hatred and intolerance will definitely affect children. It would be nearly impossible for a child to feel secure with, and accepting of their homosexual parents if the rest of American society did not. Justice Anthony Kennedy cited this argument during the Supreme Court debate. Kennedy pointed out that denying same-sex couples the same material and emotional benefits as heterosexual couples creates a definite isolation of the children. Kennedy wrote, “Without the recognition, stability, and predictability marriage offers, their children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser.” This sentiment is an extremely short summary of the struggle the American government and people have placed on homosexuals. If other members of the population would give gay couples the respect and equality they deserve, there would be no issues. There would be no discrepancies between their happiness and the happiness of children from heterosexual couples. Those against gay marriage attempted to cite children’s happiness as a valid argument against gay marriage, but being against gay marriage is what actually would affect the children.
If our upcoming generation is an actual concern, then the current ruling by the Supreme Court absolutely must stand. Homosexual parents only affect children if we place intolerance and ignorance about homosexuality on the children. Several countries in the United Nations prove this sentiment. The Netherlands, which legalized gay marriage in 2001, consistently ranks in the Top 10 Happiest Countries, published by the World Happiness Report. Four years after Belgium legalized gay marriage, UNICEF titled it “The Best Country for Children’s Educational Well Being”. Norway legalized gay marriage in 2009, and has since been ranked the number one in the United Nation’s measurement of the quality of life for all the world’s nations, called the Human Development Index. That ranking has stood every year since 2009. The evidence for gay marriage continues to strengthen as the evidence against it diminishes rapidly. If the people of the U.S. accept the messages being sent to us by sociologists and psychologists within our own country, as well as the countries around us, maybe we will snag one of those titles from European countries. It all depends on how we, the people of America, choose to react. So let’s react positively.