The results from the longest-running study of same-sex families are in, and they show that the children of lesbian parents perform better than their peers on both social and academic tests. The 25-year study followed 78 children born to lesbian couples who all used donor insemination to become pregnant. "The researchers behind the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study say the results should change attitudes to adoption of children by gay and lesbian couples, which is prohibited in some parts of the U.S.," New Scientist reported. Controlling for similar financial and educational backgrounds, the study found that the children of lesbian couples scored lower than their peers on measures of aggression and rule-breaking while outperforming in positive areas. "The results should be considered by those who oppose the rights of gay and lesbian couples to adopt children" said Nanette Gartrell of the University of California-San Francisco, who has worked on the study for a quarter-century. Currently, a handful of states prohibit same-sex or unmarried couples from adopting. "It's a great tragedy in this country," Gartrell told New Scientist. "There are so many children who are available for adoption but cannot be adopted by same-sex couples." More than 100,000 in the United States alone, according to the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a research and advocacy group. "The institute estimated that just 4 percent of all adopted children ... live with gay or lesbian parents, despite research suggesting that same-sex couples may be more willing than heterosexual couples to adopt."
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