Last February, Italian Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella was sent an open letter from seven presidents of the Orders of Psychologists of as many regions, where it is said: “The established scientific literature shows that there are no substantial differences between families with heterosexual parents and those with homosexual parents with respect to the raising of children. […] Instead, the harmful effect of exposure to prejudice is established, not so much and not only on homosexuality itself, but on the ability of homosexual couples to express adequate parenting skills.”
In March the psychologists’ council of the association ContiamoCi! issued a statement where they noted “the fact that the letter is not signed by the National Council of Orders of Psychologists (CNOP), or by the presidents of the other orders, [which] suggests that the opinion on the matter is not so unanimous.” Second, they point out that “the chairpersons do not even find it necessary to cite studies to support their claims, as would be mandatory in a scientific debate, but instead refer generically to a supposedly ‘well-established scientific literature.'” Then the statement cites “a study showing twice the risk of depression in adults raised by homosexual parents compared to people raised by male-female parents (Sullins, 2016). […] “at some point in the child’s life, each pair of same-sex parents will necessarily have to answer his or her own questions about who conceived the child. What will be the psychological effects of the answer? What will be the fallout on his or her self-esteem and psychological well-being?” Regarding the alleged social stigma concerning same-sex couples, the psychologists of ContiamoCi! boldly note that “it is appreciable to note that among the population there is a widespread attitude of caution toward homosexual parenting. We add that, perhaps, this attitude should be respected and not subverted.” Finally, the statement closes, “In conclusion, we believe that the style and obviously ideological goals of the presidents’ letter are not in keeping with their role.”
As a summary judgment on the issue of homosexual parenting from a psychological point of view, we quote the opinion of the American College of Pediatricians, which says:
Do children raised by two individuals of the same sex grow up as adequately as children raised in one-mother, one-father families? Until recently, the unequivocal answer to this question has been “no.” Over the past decade, however, professional health organizations, academics, politicians and the media have argued that parenting bans toward same-sex couples should be lifted. In making a decision of this magnitude, any responsible advocate should rely on complete and conclusive evidence. But not only is this not the case, there is, on the contrary, tangible evidence that children exposed to the same-sex lifestyle may have an increased risk of emotional, mental and even physical harm.
The conclusion was that “There is a significant risk of harm inherent in exposing a child to the same-sex lifestyle. The American College of Pediatricians believes it is inappropriate, potentially dangerous, and dangerously irresponsible for children to override the ban on same-sex parental adoption. This position is rooted in the best available scientific knowledge” (American College of Pediatricians, Homosexual Parenting: Is It Time For Change?, at www.acpeds.org, 2017).
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