If you are part of a same-sex marriage and have children, you know that your responsibilities, concerns and challenges are no different from those of heterosexual parents. After all, the desire to raise and care for a child is a human trait and not a trait that is contingent upon sexual orientation. So while you know that same-sex couples are perfectly capable of providing safe, happy and healthy environments for children, there have been those who question this fact.
A recent study may help silence the voices that decry the parenting abilities of same-sex parents. The study, conducted by several groups working in concert, culled data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. The results were arrived at by comparing data on 95 lesbian couples with data on 95 different-sex couples.
To make a valid comparison, the same-sex and different-sex couples were selected on the basis of such factors as geographic location, age of parents, citizenship status and income. Similar criteria were also applied to the children who were part of the comparison.
The findings of the study led to the conclusion that same-sex parents possess parenting skills equal to those of their different-sex counterparts. Interestingly, the results also revealed that the gay parents reported experiencing more stress in their parenting duties. However, it must be pointed out that this higher level of stress had no bearing on the children’s outcomes.
However, same-sex couples are also vulnerable to experiencing the same kinds of marital difficulties as those experienced by different-sex couples. Sometimes, those difficulties can manifest themselves not only in divorce, but child custody disputes as well.
If you are in the midst of a child custody battle, a Texas family law attorney may be able to help you get the matter resolved. An attorney who has experience handling same-sex divorce cases can act on your behalf to see to it that your parental rights are protected and that the terms of the final custody agreement are in the best interests of the children.