Editor’s note: This guest post is by Sean Carlson of the Family Equality Council. Read Sean Carlson’s previous article at The New Civil Rights Movement, “In Virginia, Governor Wants To Block Adoptions By Gays And Lesbians.”
Rick Santorum couldn’t be more out of touch with America’s families — or reality.
Just before announcing his presidential exploratory committee, the former Senator from Pennsylvania blew through Iowa to speak before the Family Leader — an extreme anti-gay group — Â and take a nasty swipe at LGBT Families. According to Mr. Santorum, parenting is a privilege, and we are not entitled to take part. While in Iowa, Santorum related this story:
A lesbian woman came up to me and said, ‘why are you denying me my right?’ I said, ‘well, because it’s not a right.’ It’s a privilege that society recognizes because society sees intrinsic value to that relationship over any other relationship.
The narrow lens through which Mr. Santorum (image, above) sees the world doesn’t allow him to acknowledge the many shapes and sizes that comprise today’s families. Over a quarter of the children in the United States are being raised by single parents, not to mention grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and neighbors.
There are 1 million LGBT parents in this country alone raising 2 million children. They are raising their children to love their country, respect their neighbors and be valuable members of their community. There is now more than 30 years of research on this issue – all of which comes to the same conclusion – that children raised by gay and lesbian parents have the same advantages, developmental cycles and social and psychological adjustments as children raised by straight parents. Society sees intrinsic value in loving parents and in familes, regardless of Santorum’s opinions about how they are made up.
The ex-senator’s comments happen to coincide with the recent Every Child Deserves a Family Act introduced in the House. In a press briefing this week, Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) responded “Rick who?” when asked about Mr. Santorum’s comments:
“I think he’s crazy,” Stark said to the Huffington Post “I don’t know where he comes up with those ideas.”
So at a time when we are working to find families for half a million children in foster care, Mr. Santorum would rather engage in a debate over the definition of family.
The evidence of the capability of LGBT parents is incontrovertible. Despite his long history distorting the truth, the disconnect between Mr. Santorum and the real world could not be clearer than it is now.
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