In a column on Oct. 20, M.D. Harmon claimed that same-sex marriage would weaken the institution of marriage.

Unfortunately, the information he provided was inaccurate, at best. While Harmon is correct that marriage is an important social institution for raising children, his conclusion that gays make poor parents is outright false.

Citing the widely discredited Regnerus study, Harmon would have people believe that social science is on his side when it clearly is against him.

Regnerus failed to collect data adequately on intact gay-parent families. Further, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychoanalytic Association declared the Regnerus study scientifically invalid.

The vast majority of social science research finds no difference in the well-being of children raised by same-sex parents compared with heterosexual couples.

Harmon made a weak attempt to compare children in single-parent households to same-sex households, which is like comparing apples to oranges.

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Further, there is no relation between raising children and freedom for same-sex couples to marry because gay couples already can and do adopt children.

We allow convicted felons to marry, even while they are still in prison, so denying marriage to same-sex couples based on raising children is not a reasonable argument.

As previously mentioned, there is absolutely no evidence that same-sex couples make worse parents than any other couples.

Finally, sharing freedoms we take for granted has never resulted in a less free society. In nations where same-sex marriage is legal, religious freedom has not decreased.

Let’s accept that lawful marriage has nothing to do with religion. I urge people to vote yes on Question 1 if they believe in equality, freedom, love and commitment.

Nathan Grant

Gardiner


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