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Behind THAT letter: Sin, crap science, lies, and a video nasty

Tue 21 Dec 2004 In: Features

Did a letter signed by Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard and other NZ notables, penned by businessman John Sax, which claimed gays were more likely to abuse and murder their children have any basis in research, even dubious research? A quick glance at the letter, which included gays and lesbians in its sweeping generalisation condemning relationships outside "traditional heterosexual marriage", shows the statistics Sax compiled to prove this do not mention gays and lesbians AT ALL! In his interview with GayNZ.com, Hubbard said that despite this, he was still prepared to believe these slanderous assertions against gay and lesbian parents. He said he was concerned about the implications of the Civil Union Bill on children, and expressed surprise that the Commissioner for Children hadn't spoken out on the issue. The office of the Commissioner has since spoken out – against Dick Hubbard's assertions. Trish Grant from the commissioner's office says research shows the exact opposite to the Hubbard letter claims, and that children thrive in a loving environment, irrespective of the makeup ofthe family unit. Emma Davies, programme leader (families and children) at the Auckland University of Technology's Institute of Public Policy, and David Semp, registered Auckland psychologist agreed, rebutted the fears about abusive gay parents in an opinion piece for the Herald. The American Psychological Association, the world's largest association of psychologists, published a research summary on lesbian and gay parenting back in 1995 – nearly ten years ago. It concluded that “there is no evidence to suggest that lesbians and gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial development among children of gay men or lesbians is compromised in any respect relative to that among offspring of heterosexual parents. Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents. Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children's psychosocial growth.” Three recent credible, peer-reviewed studies reached similar conclusions: * “There is no evidence that the sexual orientation of the mother influences parent-child interaction or the socio-emotional development of the child.” - “Children raised in fatherless families from infancy”, F MacCallum   

Credit: Chris Banks

First published: Tuesday, 21st December 2004 - 12:00pm

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