"We now return to the overarching question of this paper: Are we witnessing the emergence of a new family form that
provides a context for children that is equivalent to the traditional marriage-based family? Even after an extensive reading
of the same-sex parenting literature, the author [Marks] cannot offer a high confidence, data-based ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no’’ response to this
question."

Which, you surely must agree, has consistently been AJ Philips' point?

It is also consistent with my reminding people that "the traditional marriage-based family" is the source of all the current problems we are ascribing to children and yet there is no argument being 'waged' against heterosexual couples having and/or adopting children.

Regardless of the number, gender, race, religion or other circumstances good parenting is just that... good parenting.

onthebeach,

Far from "recommending" the study, I only made a passing mention of it once (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6899#210530). Up until then I hadn't referred to it, and for two reasons. Firstly, I hadn't read it yet; and secondly, it somewhat strayed from everything that I HAD read which says that there appears to be no difference between the outcomes of the children in either family types.

It was actually your pointing to its limitations that prompted me to read the study to see if they were as detrimental or dishonest as you were implying. As it turns out, they weren’t. Furthermore, the authors had declared the limitations and warned that the study needed to be read in light of them, and controlled for them the best they could. That‘s the beauty of scholarly works. At worst, the study acts merely as a platform with which to base further studies.

I have been extremely cautious with my wording on this topic precisely because I know how easy it can be to get excited about a study that looks favourable to one's position, only to be made a fool of later on because it is an incomplete area of research and something else out there contradicts your authority. That being said, and going by what I know of developmental criminology and psychology, I think we are beyond the point of discovering that same-sex parenting is detrimental to any great extent. I think it's likely to be found, in the end, to have no differences beyond negligible advantages and/or disadvantages.

Is Mise,
Some do not recognise that it takes male and female genes to produce a child, homosexual activists and supporters prefer to ignore this.

Selfishness destroys a society.
As society denies the reality of the parenting birthright of children to have their mother and father as carers and children displaced for some selfish personal reason the bonds that hold family together will diminish, as is evidence today with single gender parent households. Ask any female teacher how the boys behave in her class from single parent households. Pro homosexual unions will become common place and casual family structures will lead to more insecure children. Wealth and intellect alone does not produce balanced children, It might produce product consumers and high achievers but not real stable families that make a stable society.

AJ Philips,

Gay research seems to be following in the tradition of feminist 'research'(sic).

//Some do not recognise that it takes male and female genes to produce a child, homosexual activists and supporters prefer to ignore this.//

Good one, 'Josephus' ;)

Toni Lavis,
And they actually come from donor persons called biological parents, who in the design / evolution of nature are nurturers for them.