Parents’ sexual orientation is irrelevant to ability to raise children

I wish everyone could meet Zach Wahls, who recently spoke about the strength of his family during a hearing on Iowa House Joint Resolution 6.

Wahls is a 19-year-old college engineering student, Eagle Scout, owner of a small business and an extremely smart, personable, articulate and likable person. He has something in common with the grandson of former Vice President Dick Cheney and 8 to 10 million U.S. children - they are being raised by gay or lesbian parents.

Most studies have found that children raised by gay and lesbian parents are no worse or no better than those raised by heterosexual parents. Opponents of same-sex marriage cite studies that show children do best when raised by a mother and father or when a child is raised with his or her biological parents. The problem is that these studies compare children of heterosexual couples with those of single parents - not of same-sex parents.

The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association state that parents' sexual orientation is irrelevant to their ability to raise children, citing 67 respected studies showing children of same-sex parents turned out the same as children of heterosexual parents.

To those who oppose same-sex marriage: Meet Wahls, view his YouTube video or meet some of the millions of children living in loving, committed families of gay or lesbian parents. They are just like all other kids.

Susan Johnson

Mount Vernon