Psychologist testifies in gay marriage case that children do fine with gay parents

Witness testifies kids do fine with gay parents

SAN FRANCISCO — Children raised by same-sex parents are as well-adjusted and safe from abuse as kids who grow up with a mother and father, a Cambridge University psychologist testified Friday in a federal lawsuit challenging California’s same-sex marriage ban.

“For a significant number of these children, their adjustment would be promoted were their parents able to get married,” developmental psychologist Michael Lamb said while undercutting arguments made by sponsors of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage ballot measure passed in 2008.

Lamb said there was no evidence that children with gay parents were more likely to become gay themselves or become victims of sexual abuse or incest.

In addition, he said no evidence exists that gays or lesbians were more likely to sexually abuse children.

“We have a substantial body of evidence documenting that a child being raised by same-sex parents are just as likely to be well-adjusted as children raised by heterosexual parents,” Lamb said.

Lamb testified as part of a lawsuit by two gay couples aimed at overturning Proposition 8.

Sponsors of the measure have said restricting marriage to a man and woman can be justified by the need to foster procreation and to make sure that children are raised by their biological parents.

The trial, in its fifth day, is the first in federal court to determine if efforts to stop gays from marrying violates their constitutional rights.

During cross-examination, David Thompson, an attorney for Proposition 8 sponsors, contended there was little empirical evidence related to children of transgender individuals and the outcomes of children of bisexuals.

“No,” Lamb agreed.

Thompson urged Lamb to acknowledge there were significant differences between men and women, including that men are more likely to be alcoholics, engage in acts of violence and have learning disabilities.

Lamb agreed that was all true.

“We can also agree that men can’t breast-feed, and breast-feeding clearly has benefits for children in that it provides sources of immunity that are beneficial to children,” Thompson said, raising his voice.

“Yes, that is correct,” Lamb replied.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker interrupted the cross-examination to explore Lamb’s assertion that gays were no more likely to abuse children than heterosexuals.

“We have all read about the reports of widespread priestly abuse in the Roman Catholic church and the litigation that has been spawned by those reports,” the judge said. “How do you square your statement with that phenomenon?”

Lamb said he was not an expert in church-related child abuse, but it was his understanding the Catholic church cases involved gay and heterosexual priests.

“I don’t want to convey that homosexuals never abuse children, simply that they are no more likely to than heterosexuals,” he said.

Walker also asked why adopted children seek out their biological parents if “there is no basis for the view that an absence of a genetic relationship increases adverse outcomes for children.”

Lamb said people who are adopted want to know their biological origins in the same way others study their family genealogy.

“That would not be viewed as an index of maladjustment,” he said. “It would be something that reflects an individual trying to understand where they came from.”

Thompson began his cross-examination by asking Lamb if he was a member of several advocacy groups, including the ACLU, NAACP and Amnesty International.

“You have even given money to PBS, so we can agree you are a committed liberal, right?” Thompson said.

Lamb agreed that he considered himself politically liberal.