According to a recent study conducted by the University of Melbourne in Australia, children of same-sex couples are happier and healthier then children from "traditional" families. The study was aimed to "describe the physical, mental and social well-being" of children with same-sex parents as well as "the impact that stigma has on them".
A research team surveyed 315 same-sex parents and a total of 500 children. The results show, on average, the children with two moms or two dads scored 6% higher on measures of general health and family cohesion. When it came to temperament, mood, behavior, mental health and self-esteem, the children scored the same as children with heterosexual parents.
Head researcher, Simon Crouch, believes an emphasis on skills rather then traditional gender roles is a major factor in the survey results. "So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes. What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and wellbeing." Crouch explained.
I think this is a brilliant idea because it helps show children that their gender does not make them who they are. Society as a whole still as a stigma that if you are a certain gender you can only like certain things or do certain things. Such as only girls can enjoy baking, and only boys can be grow up to be mechanics. As a society we need to do away with the idea of traditional gender roles for the sake of future generations.
In my opinion, the results of this survey make perfect sense. Unlike heterosexual couples, no same-sex couple has a child accidentally. Whether they are from fostering, adoption or surrogacy, having a child is a meticulous process that requires time and planning for any same-sex couple. Most importantly, every child raised by same-sex parents knows they are wanted.
For the full results of this survey, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/635/abstract
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Conversions In Washington State
Monday marked a change for same-sex couples in Washington state. The majority of registered domestic partnerships have now been converted into marriages by the state.
Before Washington state voters legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, there were roughly 10,000 domestic partnerships registered with the secretary of state's office. Since the same-sex marriage law went into effect at the end 2012, over 7,000 same-sex couples have been married. Not all of the marriages were previously registered domestic partnerships, but many of them were. Those domestic partnerships that weren't previously converted into marriages by the actual couples have now been converted by the state as of Monday.
This change was a component of the state's same-sex marriage law. However, the conversion only went into effect for couples who are both under the age of 62. Domestic partnerships can now only be filed if one of the partners is over the age of 62 because seniors risk losing certain retirement benefits if they marry. This stipulation for domestic partnerships holds true for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. It was estimated that around 3,600 couples have been effected by the conversion.
Couples were notified of the impending change last year, and then again in March of this year. They were also instructed on what to do if they wanted to end their domestic partnership before the change went into effect. However, according to the corporations director for the secretary of state's office, Pam Floyd, despite best efforts by the state, there will be inevitably a few couples that have broken up and moved to a different state without legally ending their partnership who don't know about the conversions. Those couples will now need to get a divorce to dissolve their partnerships.
Washington citizens have shown mixed feelings about this decision. Some couples feel like their right to decide when they want to be married was taken away, and some were frantically trying to dissolve their partnerships before the change went into effect. Dissolving a domestic partnership is similar to a divorce in a marriage. You have to go to court and file an action. Other couples didn't mind the change because they either already got married, or they feel as though it saved them a step.
Washington isn't the only state to convert domestic partnerships into marriages. New Hampshire and Connecticut have done the same.
Before Washington state voters legalized same-sex marriage in 2012, there were roughly 10,000 domestic partnerships registered with the secretary of state's office. Since the same-sex marriage law went into effect at the end 2012, over 7,000 same-sex couples have been married. Not all of the marriages were previously registered domestic partnerships, but many of them were. Those domestic partnerships that weren't previously converted into marriages by the actual couples have now been converted by the state as of Monday.
This change was a component of the state's same-sex marriage law. However, the conversion only went into effect for couples who are both under the age of 62. Domestic partnerships can now only be filed if one of the partners is over the age of 62 because seniors risk losing certain retirement benefits if they marry. This stipulation for domestic partnerships holds true for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. It was estimated that around 3,600 couples have been effected by the conversion.
Couples were notified of the impending change last year, and then again in March of this year. They were also instructed on what to do if they wanted to end their domestic partnership before the change went into effect. However, according to the corporations director for the secretary of state's office, Pam Floyd, despite best efforts by the state, there will be inevitably a few couples that have broken up and moved to a different state without legally ending their partnership who don't know about the conversions. Those couples will now need to get a divorce to dissolve their partnerships.
Washington citizens have shown mixed feelings about this decision. Some couples feel like their right to decide when they want to be married was taken away, and some were frantically trying to dissolve their partnerships before the change went into effect. Dissolving a domestic partnership is similar to a divorce in a marriage. You have to go to court and file an action. Other couples didn't mind the change because they either already got married, or they feel as though it saved them a step.
Washington isn't the only state to convert domestic partnerships into marriages. New Hampshire and Connecticut have done the same.
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