General Chat

At a guess growing up with 2 parents who are drug addicts can't be great for children. And I'm thinking alcoholic Mothers and Fathers are going to inflict certain 'issues' upon their offspring. What about violent parents? Have a feeling their children might suffer a slight degree of emotional (physical and mental) suffering. How about families where both parents work? Are the children being emotionally deprived? Is that not neglect? There are no exams to be passed in order to become a parent. Be loving, supportive, understanding and kind and you qualify as a parent in my eyes.

Perhaps 'these' children may also grow up to be well adjusted young adults. More accepting and tolerent of difference, more compassionate, less critical and judgemental of those who don't fit into the classical stereotype boxes.

Why? Should the child stay in a children's home rather than have the love of a parent? My friend is adopted and her father died when she was 12 - should she have been given back to the state to be dealt with because there was no longer 2 people to love her?

So is it confusing for a child that has friends with only 1 parent? Should all single parents have their children removed from them to be given to 'normal' parents of a husband and wife? Who causes the confusion in a child's mind? Bigotted adults thats who!!

If everyone had been gay in the days before IVF there'd be no children needing to be adopted....Just a thought....

*claps*

This thread has insensed me and I can't move away from it!! Why does having a mother and father make it a better childhood? I have a mother that should never have been allowed to have children..... she's mentally ill BUT I didn't become mentally ill just because she is!! In fact i fought so hard against my upbringing that I am amazingly different from my siblings in my attitudes etc..... Any LOVING person should be given the chance to adopt if that's the route they chose!! Would anyone object to me (a singleton) adopting a child? And yet no-one on here really knows who i am as an individual, you only know what I show you but I don't think anyone would be up in arms if I said I was doing just that!! The word homosexual is a label, but that label makes people no different to the person next to them!! They in fact have more stable relationships sometimes than hetrosexuals!! A skirt is still a skirt no matter what label is on it!! Who are we to judge on what makes a good family unit?

I agree with Lynda, Zoe, Deanna etc AND (shock horror) Alter Ego!

There are thousands of children that currently live in a single sex family, with single sex parents already - its called 1 parent families!! I think a child deserves the love of someone, so why not 2 people of the same sex? xx

That's what I wondered Sheesh - hard not to take it personally:)) As usual I agree with Alter & Esmeralda, both of whom manage to make their points so clearly & reasonably that they make what they're saying seem blindingly obvious lol

My friend is gay she and her partner at the time both raised her girls both are very happy and have boyfriends she was lucky as had no family of her own to help her. Val xxx

' i dont believe that a childs sexuality is at any risk.by being raised by gay parents' quote............ ffs........no wonder the gay community still feel that our seemilngly advanced society still has some way to go... you are making out that being gay is some sort of affliction .....!!

so if a boy grows up with just his father,or a girl grows up with just her mother.....?????.....sorry I dont get it........a same sex couple as role model.....how is that any different if we talking about 'different to the norm' ?? The positive nuturing affect to a child is what is important here,whether it be an old grandad ,an old aunt,a couple of blokes or women,a younger bloke,a younger woman,a man and wife,a couple unmarried but common law,a couple who have been together for a few years...........any of these are equally capable of being a good influence or a bad influence.

I think that any couple who would raise a child in a loving enviornment should be able to regardless of there sexual preferences. I do not believe that the childs sexuality is at any risk being raised by gay parents. My friend who is a lesbian is raising her daughter with her partner and the little girl has all the posters in her room of all the male pop stars she loves and talks of the boys at school she wants as boyfriends, She has not been affected at all by it. She is a very happy well rounded little girl who is being raised by loving parents. See no problem with that.

Children of single parent families are in the same boat regarding role models.......... often that's where the extended family come in ............. single people can foster/adopt so they have the same situation ............... Loving stable parents in whatever situation have to be better than growing up in care....... :-)))))))))))))))))))))))

i totally agree with lynda Rosex

Well this is a difficult one. I have very mixed thoughts. I've always defended homosexuals. However, it did make me stop and think when the question of them being able to adopt children came up. I do agree with what many people have already said, the most important thing for a child is to feel loved and cared for. There again, I can't help feeling it's a bit strange for children to live with same parents of the same sex. Where do they get their role model from? There again many children with heterosexual parents have dreadful role models. If a gay couple has plenty of gay and heterosexual friends the children will get the opportunity to meet other men/women to 'use' as role models. See what I mean, I have VERY mixed feelings.

It would be crass of me to use an example of two men who have 3 adopted boys saying they seem to be doing fine- how shallow it would be of me to use them as an example to argue in favour. The point is it shouldnt even be up for discussion- a couples sexual orientation is irrelevant in their suitability as parents-their ability to parent is..-but that like any other family is only known afterwards,once the task is undertaken. To bring up examples of abuse is feeding the idiots that sieze on any opportunity to label gays as deviants,ignoring the fact that 95% of child abuse is committed in the home in heterosexual families by family members,and not by outsiders that we see on the news or gay people. What is most important is the right role model,and by that i dont mean some immature chav screaming blue murder at her mite in a supermarket.

What confuses me is why sex is such an important issue .................. surely it's the people that they are that counts, not what they do together behind closed doors ............... Most kids aren't really aware what goes on between their parents in private surely ................... and when they reach a certain age they think you are too old anyway............ doesn't that count regardless of the parents gender? :-)))))))))))))))))))))))

Thats an interesting point David. I wonder if anyone who knows me thinks i shouldnt have my kids with me now? I also agree with Deanna, Lynda and Zoe.