Gay parenting is viewed as unfit because it can influence a child's social, mental, or gender development however research indicates that it doesn't have a negative effect. At first society thought preferring the same sex made you an unfit parent. Studies show that parent's sexual preference has no effect on their children's social, gender, or emotional development. The only reason gay parenting is viewed as a problem is because it is not considered to be normal. In contrast, what is normal? My understanding of normal is what the society approves of and accepts. How can you tell whether or not a parent is unfit based on his or her sexual preference? The authors of "Toronto Lesbian Family Study" believes that others discriminate against gay parenting because they assume the children will have an increased risk of poor peer relationships and psychiatric disorder (Dundas and Kaufman 67).
For lesbians and gay men, the issues surrounding parenting are complex and sometimes disturbing. Homosexual parents face more legal and social hurdles than heterosexual parents do. Gay parents have been striving to adopt their rights since 1969. Today, the legal right of gay parenting is being both reinforced and challenged. In the past years ant discrimination laws protecting gays and lesbians were adopted by many cities and businesses across the country. According to Pollack, most people believe that children will suffer distress from having gay parents but it really is not the children who suffer it is the parents. For example, in Virginia, a judge ruled the mother was unfit and based his judgment on the mother's sexual preference. For years the American Psychiatric Association held the view that homosexuality was a mental illness. Also, Author Joseph Knapp of the Family Research Journal once quoted, "We do not condone homosexuality in any way. We believe that being raised by homosexuality is detrimental to children.