HRC Blog

Today the independent and non-partisan American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced their support for marriage for gay and lesbian couples for a simple reason: it’s good for children.  The support is detailed in a policy statement titled, “Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian.” After an extensive review of the academic literature on the subject the well-respected group said that marriage equality as well as adoption helps protect children’s right to maintain relationships with both parents, eligibility for health benefits and financial security.

“This announcement is the latest in a chain of evidence stretching back years that clearly states marriage equality is good for children,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “As today’s announcement by the AAP underscores, marriage equality’s adversaries simply have no evidence to back up their absurd claims to the contrary.”

Even the star expert witness opposed to marriage equality in the Proposition 8 trial, David Blankenhorn, admitted that equal marriage is undeniably good for the children of gay and lesbian couples. In 2010, he testified under oath that, “adopting same-sex marriage would be likely to improve the well-being of gay and lesbian households and their children.” He has since fully embraced marriage equality.

The policy statement is available here  and the technical report here.