New Study Indicates Children Raised By Same-Sex Parents Perform Better In School

(image via Depositphotos)

A new study indicates children raised by same-sex couples perform better in school than those of opposite-sex parents, reports The Washington Post.

Using government data tracking all children born between 1995 to 2005 in the Netherlands, researchers found children with same-sex parents scored higher on tests in elementary and secondary school, and had a seven percent higher likelihood of graduating from high school than children reared by a mom and dad.

A team of economists at research university KU Leuven in Belgium crunched the data which followed the children’s progress through primary school through high school.

The research was presented at the American Economic Association conference in Atlanta last month.

Educational performance, family income and more was utilized in the massive study which followed over 1 million children, including 1,200 children raised by same-sex parents.

The researchers noted that same-sex parents tended to be more financially well off, more educated, and older.

Because same-sex couples often have to access to pricey fertility treatments, higher wealth and a deep motivation to have children can play a big part in same-sex parenting.

As we all know, gay and lesbian couples don’t have children ‘by accident.’

(image via iStockphoto)

“It is difficult for same-sex couples to obtain children so they have to have a high socioeconomic status," said economist Deni Mazrekaj. "Research shows that socio-economic status positively influences the school outcome of children.”

Sometimes children become part of a same-sex family due to divorce between straight and gay parents. But that doesn’t necessarily mean those children were raised in same-sex family households.

Even when looking at children specifically born and raised in same-sex families, researchers noted higher educational performance when compared to heterosexual families.

Earlier studies have shown no real differences between children raised by heterosexual versus homosexual parents, although a 2014 study from the University of Melbourne in Australia indicated children of same-sex couples often exhibit happier and healthier behavior than those of opposite-sex parents.

In that study, researchers suggested same-sex couples sharing more equal household responsibilities may have contributed to “greater social cohesion.”

That same report showed one of the biggest issues children of same-sex parents face is stigma.

(h/t The Washington Post)

All 49 Senate Democrats Have Signed On To 'Keep Families Together' Act

Donald Trump

UPDATE - All 49 Senate Democrats have now sponsored the Keep Families Together Act.

I'd say that's "doing something."

Your move, Donald Trump.

*****************************

Donald Trump went on a Monday morning Twitter rant about his administration's harmful policy of separating children from migrant parents at the U.S. southern border.

In the past two months, over 2,000 children have been separated from their families according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Once again lamenting that it's the Democrats in Congress who won't fix the current policy - when it was implemented by Trump's own Attorney General, Jeff Sessions - Trump tweeted, "Why don’t the Democrats give us the votes to fix the world’s worst immigration laws?"

The fact of the matter is there is a bill in the Senate that would stop Trump's policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the border. There are currently 43 Democratic co-sponsors and zero Republicans.

Why don’t the Democrats give us the votes to fix the world’s worst immigration laws? Where is the outcry for the killings and crime being caused by gangs and thugs, including MS-13, coming into our country illegally?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2018

Children are being used by some of the worst criminals on earth as a means to enter our country. Has anyone been looking at the Crime taking place south of the border. It is historic, with some countries the most dangerous places in the world. Not going to happen in the U.S.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2018

CHANGE THE LAWS!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2018

It is the Democrats fault for being weak and ineffective with Boarder Security and Crime. Tell them to start thinking about the people devastated by Crime coming from illegal immigration. Change the laws!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2018

What probably kicked off Trump's rant was former First Lady Laura Bush's op-ed in The Washington Post this morning calling for a more humane and moral solution.

I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart.

Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them in tent cities in the desert outside of El Paso. These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history. We also know that this treatment inflicts trauma; interned Japanese have been two times as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease or die prematurely than those who were not interned.

In 2018, can we not as a nation find a kinder, more compassionate and more moral answer to this current crisis? I, for one, believe we can.

Special Places

Speaking about the Roy Moore sexual misconduct allegations in Alabama, Ivanka Trump says, "There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children."

Yes, Ivanka, there is.

Remember that.

George Michael Quietly Donated Millions To Help Abused & Bullied Children

George Michael

As the world reels from the passing of pop music star George Michael, we learn he was even more generous in private than most knew.

Michael had secretly been giving millions to a charity that helped UK children who were the target of abuse and/or bullying.

Via The Irish Times:

Behind the headlines and huge on-stage persona, George Michael was a generous man who kept quiet about his considerable charitable donations, it has emerged. The star donated all the royalties from his 1996 number one single Jesus To A Child to charity, and is said to have given a gameshow contestant thousands of pounds to fund her IVF treatment.

Michael has helped countless children as a result of his donations to Childline, the charity’s founder and president Dame Esther Rantzen said. “For years now he has been the most extraordinarily generous philanthropist, giving money to Childline, but he was determined not to make his generosity public so no-one outside the charity knew how much he gave to the nation’s most vulnerable children,” she told the Press Association.

“Over the years he gave us millions and we were planning next year, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations to create, we hoped, a big concert in tribute to him — to his artistry, to his wonderful musicality but also to thank him for the 100s of 1,000s of children he helped through supporting Childline.”

From Childline's official website:

Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained counsellors are here to support you.

Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to us on the phone, by email or through 1-2-1 counsellor chat. Whatever feels best for you.

Our counsellors are trained staff and volunteers. All sorts of people become Childline counsellors. They could be 16 or 60. They could be gay or straight – or anywhere in between. They come from lots of different backgrounds and places.

What they all have in common is they want to help young people.

They're real people who want to support you with any issue you’re facing. They're trained but they don't follow a script.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

First Lady Michelle Obama For Hillary Clinton: "Our Children Watch Everything We Do"

First Lady Michelle Obama stumps for Hillary Clinton in new campaign spot that addresses why the former secretary of state is a better role model for the country's children.

“Our children watch everything we do and the person we elect as president has the power to shape their lives for years to come.”

It's an easy contrast to make when you look at what Republican Donald Trump has said about women in the past.

Campaign Ad: "Role Models"

Highlighting the sharp, heated rhetoric of the Donald Trump campaign, Hillary Clinton releases this new spot contrasting the images and language of the two presidential campaigns.

As Stephen Sondheim once wrote, "Careful the things you say, children will listen."

Via the Washington Post:

The sharply negative spot comes a day before Trump is expected to announce his vice-presidential running mate and several days before the Republican Party’s convention.

In it, video of Trump plays in the background as children watch. Entitled “Role Models,” it contrasts Trump — using profanity, mocking a disabled reporter, apparently alluding to a female reporter’s menstrual cycle — with Clinton, who appears at the end of the ad.

“I love the old days, you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher, folks,” Trump says in one clip. “And you can tell them to go f*** themselves,” he says in another.

Remember: When @realDonaldTrump opens his mouth, our kids are listening.https://t.co/pdphHQEzuk

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 14, 2016

Protect The Children

(via Facebook)

Campaign Ad: Hillary Clinton "Children"

New campaign ad up from the Hillary Clinton campaign that utilizes video clips from decades ago, highlighting her work on behalf of children her entire life.

Icelandic Kids TV Show Talks On Being Gay

Long-running Icelandic kids’ TV show, Stundin Okkar, on the air since 1996, featured a non confrontational scene in which former Eurovision singer Páll Óskar is asked that fateful childhood question, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

The scene played out exactly as it should, with simple, honest truth.

“Actually, no I don’t… and I’m never going to have any girlfriends. I don’t get crushes on girls. I get crushes on guys, because I’m gay.”

When asked “When did you know you were attracted to guys and not girls?”, he replies, “When did you know you were attracted to guys and not girls?”

“Some guys like other guys, some guys like girls. Some girls like guys, some girls like other girls. You don’t decide what makes your heart beat, it just beats.

“Think about what it would be like to live in a world where it didn’t matter who you were attracted to! We just need to create that world – that’s our responsibility.”

(h/t Towleroad)

Madonna Chimes In On Dolce & Gabbana Dustup

All babies contain a soul however they come to this earth and their families. There is nothing synthetic about a soul!! So how can we dismiss IVF and surrogacy? Every soul comes to us to teach us a lesson. God has his hand in everything even technology! We are arrogant to think Man does anything on his own. As above so below! Think before you speak.,,,,,,,,,,,❤️#livingforlove

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Mar 18, 2015 at 5:49pm PDT

Little Boy Sets Up Camera To Catch Santa Claus - Guess What He Sees

Seven year old Evan borrows his older brother's Go-Pro camera to try and catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

You'll never guess what he finds on the camera Christmas morning.

Watch the video - big smiles - then go here for the full story. I don't want to spoil anything.

1.3 million views in a day.

(h/t TRR reader John)

Little girl's reaction to dad shaving his beard is priceless

Post by Fortafy.

Man buys all the Burger King pies in the house to spite cry baby

You're having a tough day, so you decide you're gonna splurge for the moment and make a quick stop at Burger King (if you call that a splurge).

But what happens when the folks behind the counter are backed up, you're losing patience and then the small child behind you starts screaming at his mother about wanting some pie?

Eater.com shares this Reddit user's story:

It turns out it was so slow because they had 1 trainee on cash during the lunch hour rush.

All I can think of is how the people behind me ruined my splurge and gave me this headache. I then decide to ruin their day.

I order every pie they have left in addition to my burgers. Turned out to be 23 pies in total, I take my order and walk towards the exit.

Moments later I hear the woman yelling, "what do you mean you don't have any pies left, who bought them all?" I turn around and see the cashier pointing me out with the woman shooting me a death glare.

I stand there and pull out a pie and slowly start eating eat as I stare back at her.

She starts running towards me but can't get to me because of other lineups in the food court. I turn and slowly walk away.

Children at gay pride / children at church

Source unknown.  

Via George Takei's Twitter

New study shows children of same-sex parents do as well or better than peers

A new study of 315 same-sex couples, mostly lesbians, and their 500 children disputes the claims of anti-gay marriage folks that same-sex couples can't effectively raise children.

 In fact, in some ways, those children do better than their peers.

From Salon:

“We found that children from same-sex families scored, on average, 6 percent better on two key measures, general health and family cohesion, even when controlling for a number sociodemographic factors such as parent education and household income,” wrote lead researcher Simon Crouch. “But on most health measures, including emotional behaviour and physical functioning, there was no difference when compared with children from the general population.”

The finding same-sex couples make perfectly fine parents echoes plenty of other research to that effect. That their children appear in some ways to be at an advantage, the authors suggest, could have something to do with the way their parents don’t default to gender stereotypes, creating a “more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and well being.”

Those benefits were somewhat undercut, however, by the continued experience of stigma, which negatively impacted their mental and emotional well-being.

One of the biggest arguments against marriage equality by the haters is that "marriage is about children" and "children need both biological parents to thrive."

This one study echoes the findings of several studies - that children do well in homes where they are well-cared for.  Period.

Read the study at this link.

Documentary: Life According to Sam

"Life According to Sam"

Michael and I just finished watching this very touching, moving and thought-provoking documentary currently on HBO - Life According to Sam.

At the age of 2, Sam is diagnosed with progeria, a rare and fatal aging disease. The film documents the years in which he takes part in the first ever trial for a possible treatment, led by his mother.

Beyond the medical story, what is most emotionally compelling about the film is watching Sam do so much more than cope with this disease.  He achieves.  At his middle school graduation he wins honor after honor.  His dream of being in the high school drum corp becomes just one more challenge for him to conquer.

Sam shares his hopes and vision for his future throughout, as his mother works diligently to find a first ever treatment for progeria.

From Fine Films' description:

Life According to Sam follows one family’s courageous fight to save their only son from a rare and fatal ageing disease.

Eleven years of the parents breakneck research, (they both are doctors), has led to the first experimental drug trial for Sam and 28 other children from around the world, just as Sam has reached 13, the average age of death for children with progeria.

This highly personal and unexpectedly life affirming journey is championed by the captivating presence of Sam Berns himself.

Funny, perceptive and fiercely intelligent, Sam is the catalyst for his parents relentless drive to discover a medical breakthrough that may one day shed light on unlocking the aging process in us all. 

We all know there are more difficult lives than our own.  Somewhere.  Everywhere.

Watching the documentary, I marvel at Sam's achievement after achievement - and then wonder "what did I do today?"  I think about the small slights or excuses so many of us hang onto, when we could have something REALLY big to cope with, like progeria or cancer, as many do.

The film is beautiful, thoughtful and honest in a very human way.  

Learn more about Sam and this powerful documentary at the official website here. 

And learn more about progeria and how you can perhaps get involved by visiting the Progeria Research Foundation.

Missouri man arrested for allegedly searching for someone to rape his 11 year old daugher

A Missouri man has been arrested after posting a Craigslist ad looking for a woman to sexually assault his 11 year old daughter.

At a press conference Monday, St. Louis County Detective Mike Slaughter said it takes a lot to shock his team of detectives, but when the father appeared at a pre-arranged meeting with the child in hand, they couldn't believe it:

Slaughter said that the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was called into action after someone reported a Craigslist ad Brinkman posted last week. He told an undercover officer posing as 27-year-old woman that he was looking for a girlfriend and someone who would help him assault the girl with sex toys, according to Slaughter.

If the undercover officer liked what he saw at the Cracker Barrel then the plan was for them all go back to Brinkman’s place and begin sexually assaulting his daughter.

“From the time he posted that ad to the time we arrested him was less than 48 hours,” Slaughter noted.

Brinkman was charged with attempted statutory sodomy and was being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. Prosecutors were considering additional charges for sex trafficking.

(via Raw Story)

Two year old accosted at Walmart, called "fa**ot" for wearing headband

This is a pretty terrible story.  Imagine someone touching your 2 year old son like this in a store.

Dexter is a 2-year-old boy who happens to love pink. His mother, Katie Vyktoriah, a stay-at-home mom and blogger, posted a horrific tale over the weekend of the experience she had when she took Dexter to Walmart.

Read the entire story at Huffington Post.

The post has gone viral to the point that her site crashed due to the high level of traffic.

The story is reposted at the HuffPost, and the unfortunate encounter her son had with an ignoramus began after two girls giggled at her son in his pink headband.

She writes:

Out of nowhere a big booming voice rang out. "THAT'S a BOY?!" The man was overly large with a bushy beard and a camouflage shirt with the arms cut off. He had tattered shorts and lace-up work boots with no laces. I could smell the fug of cigarette smoke surrounding him, and there was a definite pong of beer on him.

"Yes," I said simply, still smiling.

With no notice, the man stepped forward, grabbed the headband off of Dexter's head and threw it to the bottom of our shopping cart. He then cuffed Dexter around the side of his head (not hard, but that is not the point) and said with a big laugh, "You'll thank me later, little man!"

At the same time as I stepped forward, Dexter grabbed his head where the man had smacked him and threw his other hand forward, stomping his foot and shouting, "NO!" I got between my son and this man and said very firmly, "If you touch my son again, I will cut your damn hands off."

The guy snarled at me, looked at Dexter with disgust and said, "Your son is a f*cking fa***t." He then started sauntering out, but not before he threw over his shoulder, "He'll get shot for it one day."

I stood there, shaking, fists clenched, waiting for the man to disappear out the door, and then I fell apart. I was shaking so hard, holding back tears and comforting Dexter.

Not a single person said or did anything. There were several people who had witnessed the encounter, but not one of them came over to offer support or console me or my son.

Let me repeat to you: Dexter is 2 YEARS OLD.

Watch Katie discuss the incident on HuffPost Live:

(via Towleroad)

Study: Children of gays and lesbians turn out "no different" from children of straight parents

The world's largest study to date researching the impact gay and lesbian parents have on their children finds that kids with gay parents are actually happier and healthier than their peers who have straight parents, reports U.K. LGBT site PinkNews.

The Australian Study of Child Health in Same-Sex Families in Australia studied the mental, physical, and social wellbeing of 500 children from around the nation up to the age of 17. The study also interviewed 315 gay, lesbian, and bisexual parents, asking them to complete the Child Health Questionnaire, which is recognized around the world.

Preliminary results indicated that children of gay and lesbian parents were no different from their peers raised by straight parents in terms of physical and mental health, and in their interactions with others and their parents.

The study did discover, however, that children raised by same-sex parents scored significantly higher in terms of family cohesion and general health than did kids raised by opposite-sex parents, according to PinkNews.

So much for the "gays make bad parents" argument.  Of course, the haters will just dismiss the study as flawed and continue flogging their own opinions as fact.

Python can open doors

Horrified! Oh. Mah. Gawd.

Am I the only one who's nervous watching this?

The videos, which star a 16-foot albino burmese python, was uploaded two years ago by Vimeo user Jenner. However, the snake, named "Julius," is the latest pet to experience Internet fame. 

According to Jenner, when the snake is tired of being in a dark room, "she flips on the light, opens the door and bails."

"This is why we keep doors locked with her around. We don't need her harassing the neighbors," add Jenner in the video description.

Clearly the kids aren't afraid.  So maybe the fear is only mine.  




(via Mashable)