Ammunition (Update, Update II)

For the next time you encounter someone who "knows" that married biological parents are the "best" for children.

But research on families headed by gays and lesbians doesn't back up these dire assertions. In fact, in some ways, gay parents may bring talents to the table that straight parents don't.

Gay parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents," said Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who researches gay and lesbian parenting. Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident, compared with an almost 50 percent accidental pregnancy rate among heterosexuals, Goldberg said. "That translates to greater commitment on average and more involvement."

Update:

This is what we're fighting against:

Additionally, by defining marriage both in terms of the relationship between a man and a woman and its important role of guaranteeing the succession of generations, the state is recognizing the irreplaceable contribution that married couples make to society. Married couples who bring children into the world make particular sacrifices and take on unique risks and obligations for the good of society.

And all you adoptive parents, gay and straight, who are taking kids that no one else wants, fuck you -- you're worthless.

Timothy Kincaid has some rather pointed comments on this as well. He particularly notes the arrogance of the Catholic hierarchy, which we've seen more than a few examples of lately. (Even in my home town.)

The thing is, these authoritarian thinkers get so used to being in control that they just don't get it when they're not. And so they say really stupid things and are just amazed when there's blowback.

This is not counting professional whiners like Peter LaBarbera and the rest of the "will gay-bash for cash" crowd, whose statements are naked attempts at manipulation and are more cynical than clueless.

Update II: The SPLC Strikes Back:

Today at noon, a group of the nastiest gay-bashers in America plans to hold a press conference in front of the Montgomery, Ala., offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which publishes this blog. Claiming that the SPLC is engaged in a “campaign to demonize adherents of traditional Judeo-Christian morality,” the white organizers of the press conference are bringing along a set of black pastors in a presumed bid to embarrass the SPLC, a 40-year-old anti-racist civil rights organization.

The irony is that SPLC has named five of the participating organizations as hate groups precisely because they demonize LGBT people, using a series of well-worn lies to paint gays and lesbians as perverts, pedophiles and worse. Despite the claims of the groups, the SPLC is not attacking anyone’s morality. Instead, our hate group listings reflect the fact that they regularly propagate known falsehoods.