A Bowling Green State University professor is playing a prominent role on a
national scale in court cases deciding whether to overturn gay marriage bans.Dr. Wendy Manning, professor of
sociology at BGSU and co-director of the National Center for Family and Marriage Research, has been asked to
weigh in on the controversial issue twice this year alone, based on a new examination into social science
research on same-sex marriage which shows that children do just as well whether same-sex or heterosexual
parents raise them.Manning led the analysis by the American Sociological Association (ASA). Her work was
then used in an amicus brief supporting efforts to overturn gay marriage bans in Nevada and Hawaii filed
with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The 9th Circuit is scheduled to hear lawsuits
challenging the bans in the coming months."At the outset I was not sure what the literature would show
in terms of child well-being," Manning said.She and two graduate students worked together to review
"all the research published in the last decade. It had to be published in peer-reviewed
journals."These studies examined a wide range of issues."Sometimes they were looking at the
children’s psychological adjustment, at depressive symptoms, behavioral problems, sexual activity, drug use
or alcohol use," said Manning.She and the two BGSU students discovered that children raised by same-sex
parents fared just as well as children raised by different-sex parents."Once you controlled for age and
education levels, there were no differences" between the two groups. "There was a very clear
consensus. I thought the findings from the literature were very straightforward."It is vital to conduct
such research, Manning believes."Given that nearly one-fifth of same-sex couples are raising children,
it is important to include same-sex parent families in studies of the well-being of children."The ASA
amicus brief resulting from Manning’s work states, in part: "Unsubstantiated fears regarding same-sex
parents do not overcome these facts and do not justify upholding the Nevada and Hawaii marriage
bans."This is the second time Manning has led the examination into social science research for an
amicus brief. Earlier this year, the ASA weighed in on the gay marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme
Court.In its June decision, the Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, requiring the federal
government to recognize same-sex marriages already legalized in several states, and abolished California’s
Proposition 8, paving the way for gay couples to once again marry there.The amicus brief is part of the
ASA’s ongoing effort to ensure that U.S. courts considering lawsuits to legalize gay marriage understand
that social science research shows parents’ sexual orientation has no bearing on their children’s
well-being.Manning noted that this was not the first time the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue of
"who can marry who." The court also did so in a 1967 case invalidating Reconstruction-era laws
against interracial marriage."Many rights are affected – hospital visits, pensions, veterans benefits –
so it’s quite consequential whether the federal government recognizes same-sex marriage," she pointed
out.Those who oppose legalizing gay marriage often bring up two specific concerns centering on parenting:•
"Some people wonder if children need both a male and a female parent – if that’s important. It doesn’t
seem to be," based on the research of the last 10 years, Manning said.• "Some are concerned that
children are being raised in families that aren’t as socially accepted, perhaps, as integrated in the
community."Manning said the latter point strikes her as "kind of ironic.""Often these
same people are concerned about children not being raised in married-parent families," she said, so one
might think they would support marriage for both gay and heterosexual populations.More Americans are
apparently seeing that same irony."With Illinois, there are now over 14 states plus the District of
Columbia allowing gay marriage, polls show a majority of Americans are now in favor of it," said
Manning, "and it’s the first time we have a president who’s stated he supports gay marriage, so the
tides have changed a lot in recent years."Just last week Hawaii became the most recent state to
legalize same-sex marriage.