COMPARING DIVORCED PARENTS AND SAME-SEX PARENTS: Elizabeth Marquardt and Michael Triplett

Interesting exchange at MarriageMovement.org. Unsurprisingly, I think Elizabeth is downplaying the importance of gender here. "Mother" and "father" are just about the most gendered roles I can think of--much more so than soldier or childcare worker, for example--and can't be collapsed into a generic, genderless "parent" role. So my position is closer to David Blankenhorn's, here. But anyway, both Elizabeth and Michael make good points. Here's an excerpt from Michael:

...Same-sex parents are not like divorced parents or single parents because there is an intact, two-parent family. Do children yearn for the biological parent to the same degree in adoptive situations or when born to infertile couples? THAT's where I think the best comparison is: to adoptive parents and infertile parents who use reproductive technology.

...As a "family law" attorney, I've handled divorces and custody issues created by divorce; I've also handled adoptions by same-sex parents. Comparing the joy of an intact, loving couple choosing to adopt children (or have them through reproductive technology) with the horror show of divorce is like comparing day and night. ...

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posted by Eve at 4:35 PM VOTE

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