Homosexual adoption report written by 'pro-gay advocate'

This article seems to raise three issues:

• This AP news report fails to disclose what WND alleges to be a relevant fact.
• The paper discussed by the aforementioned news report, which advocates allowing gays and lesbians to become adoptive parents, was written by a "well-known pro-'gay' advocate".
• Time magazine committed a similar omission when it failed to disclose that it's Oct. 10 cover story on "gay teens", titled "The battle over gay teens" -- a positive portrayal of American youth coming out -- was written by a gay man.
  

The real issue here is the rabid homophobia of large segments of the American population. Their fear and hatred drives a wedge between prospective gay and lesbian parents and the children they would like to adopt.

The current furor is being stirred by the publication of a paper titled "Expanding Resources for Children: Is Adoption by Gays and Lesbians Part of the Answer for Boys and Girls Who Need Homes?", whose principal findings are:

• Against a backdrop of increasing public acceptance, social science research concludes that children reared by gay and lesbian parents fare comparably to those of children raised by heterosexuals on a range of measures of social and psychological adjustment.
• Studies are increasing in number and rigor, but the body of research on gay/lesbian parents is relatively small and has methodological limitations. Still, virtually every valid study reaches the same conclusion: The children of gays and lesbians adjust positively and their families function well. The limited research on gay/lesbian adoption points in the same direction.
• Though few states have laws or policies explicitly barring homosexuals from adopting, some individual agencies and workers outside those states discriminate against gay and lesbian applicants based on their own biases or on mistaken beliefs that such prohibitions exist.
• Laws and policies that preclude adoption by gay or lesbian parents disadvantage the tens of thousands of children mired in the foster care system who need permanent, loving homes.
  

This article lambastes the study, claiming bias on the part of its author and the organizations that funded it:

The author of the study is identified as "Illinois State University adoption expert Jeanne Howard." AP reports that the study was "funded by the Gill Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign, both active" in promoting a pro-homosexuality agenda into American society.

However, AP does not inform readers that author Jeanne Howard is passionately involved in promoting acceptance of homosexuality in her work with P-FLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

So, all of this homophobic bullshit boils down to the simple fact that the author of this paper, Jeanne Howard, is a P-FLAG mom? How fucking dumb is that?

The article goes on to quote Robert Knight, the spokes-dick for the Concerned Women for America:

"'Homosexual activists' handprints are all over this one," says Robert Knight, director of the Culture & Family Institute, an affiliate of Concerned Women for America. "Take it with a grain of salt. They funded it and will no doubt promote it, hoping the public will be too distracted to check its pedigree."

"Does this disqualify Ms. Howard's study?," Knight asks. "No, but it shows that the study did not emerge in a scientific vacuum."

Well Bob, this study, like any other piece of scientific research, should, can and will stand up to peer review. This process, Bob, focuses on the accuracy of the data collected, the methods used to compile and analyze the data and the cogency of the resultant conclusions.

The thing is, Bob, you really don't want it to stand up to peer review, do you? Because you're afraid that it will. You're afraid that other experts, whose impartiality you can't impugn, will concur with the study's findings. You would much rather stand in the center ring, bathed in lime-light, shouting your fucking bullshit FUD at the top of your lungs hoping that everyone will pay attention to you.

Okay. So, what's the up-shot? Well, let's face it: everyone is biased; that's a fact of life. The question, then, is "Who is more likely to either act upon their biases or allow them to influence their actions?"

Let's consider, for a moment, who's involved:

On the one hand, we have Jeanne Howard, an associate professor at Illinois State University, whose scientific study supports gays and lesbians as adoptive parents.

On the other hand, we have a bunch of homophobic fuck-heads who dispute the findings of this study and claim bias on the part of the author based on her involvement with P-FLAG.

Who are you going to believe?


see also:

• Google News search...
• AP news report
• Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
• Jeanne Howard's Study
• Jeanne Howard
  

tags: homosexuality, homosexual, gay, homophobia, gay adoption