I do not know how two same sex persons can be parents as a couple. This is just not humanly possible. There is something wrong with this Question........

Why can't two parents of the same gender parent together? Yes, children should have strong, positive male and female role models in their lives. But having a traditional "married mother and father as biological parents" does not automatically mean a child has positive role models. A responsible parent - single, married, same sex, adoptive, step-families, whatever - makes sure his/her children have many positive role models in their lives. What's important is that children experience a stable, loving home life. Plenty of kids "never have a father" - and that usually has nothing to do with having 2 mothers.

Couples of the same sex who decide to become parents go through much more of a process than straight couples do. They can't just have a one-night stand and wake up pregnant, in most cases. My uncle's first wife came out of the closet. My cousins are amazingly well-balanced kids, even in light of my uncle's new wife saying horrible filthy things about their mother. Regardless of weather you agree with her lifestyle or not, its unhealthy to disrespect a child's mother in front of the child. Why are single moms/dads commended for being both mother and father, but same sex couples are condemned for providing a family with 2 parents??

honestly i know several same sex parents who make awesome parents their kids are very well taken care of go to great schools are enrolled in after school activies like soccer/football/baseball are always involved in their children's activies, school work, these kids are very happy heathly kids honestly i say it doesn't matter if it's 2 mommies or 2 daddies just as long as they are there for the children and they are happy, i myself am raising my 4 children in a male/female marriage but like i said it doesn't matter these kids are happy the couples are happy and the kids are being taken care of

I know a couple with a daughter that is almost five. It may not be humanly possible that they created the child together but that does not make someone a parent.

Look, I’m starting to get disappointed with the new style of Parenting magazine. Has anyone noticed that the Editor in Chief changed back in December? Parenting seemed awfully quite about the swap. Since then, we’ve begun to see more face-time for these sort of liberal often extream topics. Don't "gay-freindly" groups have thier own magazines? I especially don’t like to told it’s a “normal” way of life. Not for me – never will be. I can love the person but never the lifestyle. Anyway, Parenting is just trying to be “edgy” and I don’t like it. Do you honestly think Ms. Kardashian is a role model for single parents? Are you kidding? The list is starting to get longer...

Perhaps you should look for your own "non gay-friendly" magazine where you can team up with like-minded bigots. Of course it is not a "normal" way of life to YOU - you aren't gay. But there are thousands upon thousands of tax-paying, loving, community-serving same-sex parents just living life everyday, trying to keep up with what is important (their kids)...who have to constantly battle with ungrounded discrimination from people like you.

I want to thank and commend Parenting for your article, "'We're the New Normal' - Life as a Same-Sex Parent." As a Christian mom with many gay friends, I am sure that your article was criticized by many people, but I can certainly attest, as your article says, "[Gay parents] parents worked hard to have [their kids] and didn't take the privilege of having kids lightly." The gay couples I know are certainly some of the best parents (and would-be parents) that I know. I am grateful for their positive influence in my children's lives. Thank you for getting out this message to folks who might not have the privilege of having gay friends.

I recently saw a segment on TV about children with their same sex parents and how certain elementary schools had decided to make some homosexual books required reading for all kids. Homosexuality is a personal choice and it is not my place to judge. I do however judge what my children should and should not read. I plan to teach my children to respect and accept all people no matter who nor what they are. But tell me something, why is the bible and anything religious banned from certain schools while these books are required? It seems likes it's neccesary for everyone to accept a certain lifestyle, but it's not neccesary to accept and know God?

Mamablue: Maybe it has to do with teaching kids that there's nothing wrong with being different. That there are kids with same-sex parents who are just as wonderful & great to know as those with heterosexual parents. That people don't think or live in exactly the same ways and that that's OK. There's nothing wrong with accepting & knowing God, if that's what you choose to teach your child, but can't you do that outside of school? Isn't that YOUR personal choice, to be respected? No one is telling your child that parents SHOULD be same-sex. Why do you want children of other parents to be taught your religion? Just food for thought, OK?

I worked with a woman who was in a same-sex relationship and they adopted two children who were already 4 and 7 years old. These kids had been in and out of foster homes. One was deserted by the mother, the other taken away from the mother because of narcotics possession charges. I've no problem whatsoever with these women raising these angels who've been let down so much by their 'real' mothers. I don't see how having a child in foster care all their life or handing them back over to their drug-addicted mothers is morally superior at all.

I think any parent who can provide a loving, stable home and who can raise their child to be a good person is a good person, regardless of their sexual orientation or marital status. We all come in different shapes and sizes, there's no reason that parents should be held to one ideal or standard.