Kids Adopted By Same-Sex Couples 'Thriving': Researcher

THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Children adopted by gay or lesbian parents develop as well as those adopted by heterosexual couples, a new study has found.

Researchers looked at 106 adoptive preschool-age children living in different parts of the United States and found that all were developing well, regardless of whether their parents were gay, lesbian or heterosexual. In addition, whether or not children were developing in positive ways was associated with how warmly their adoptive parents treated them, not their parents' sexual orientation.

All of the children in the study had been adopted at birth, according to the report published in the August issue of the journal Applied Developmental Science.

"We found that children adopted by lesbian and gay couples are thriving," study leader Charlotte J. Patterson, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, said in a university news release.

"Our results provide no justification for denying lesbian or gay prospective adoptive parents the opportunity to adopt children. With thousands of children in need of permanent homes in the United States alone, our findings suggest that outreach to lesbian and gay prospective adoptive parents might benefit children who are in need," she added.

Adoption of children by same-sex couples is controversial in the United States, and some states (Florida, Mississippi and Utah) prohibit adoption by same-sex couples. In recent years, a number of other states have debated proposals to prohibit adoptions by same-sex couples.

Robert Preidt

Kids Adopted By Same-Sex Couples 'Thriving': Researcher

Swedish lesbians more likely to wed than gay men

More female than male same-sex couples have chosen to marry since Swedish homosexuals were granted the legal right to marry on May 1st, 2009.

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Thirty-seven female couples have tied the knot since May, compared to 11 male couples, according to figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB).

In addition, the number of children of same-sex couples registered as under Sweden's domestic partnership law has increased tenfold over the last decade.

At the end of the 1990s, fewer than 70 children lived with parents who were registered domestic partners. In 2008, 749 children lived with same-sex couples who were registered partners.

A large majority of these children have two mothers, with 706 living with female same-sex couples, compared to 43 who have two fathers.

“If you want to be crass, you can say that it's easier for female same-sex couples to have children,” Ulrika Westerlund, vice chairman of the the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

“Since 2002, same-sex couples have been allowed to adopt, but there hasn't been a single case that has been approved where it wasn't the adoption of a close relative.”

Swedish lesbians more likely to wed than gay men