Do Lesbians Make Better Moms?

Contrary to what the religious right might say, children raised by lesbian parents are doing just as well as their peers, according to a new report based on a 20-year study to be published in the journal Pediatrics. In fact, they may be even better off. “When we compared the adolescents in our study to the so-called gold standard," Dr. Nanette Gartrell, the study's author, said, "we found the teens with lesbian mothers were actually doing better." Researchers found that the children showed significantly fewer social problems and rated much higher academically and socially. As for why their children are faring well, Gartrell suggested that lesbian mothers "are very committed, very involved parents," and may also be better off economically.