Yay, Florida!

Here's a good example of evidence-based thinking in action. A judge in Miami recently overturned a decades-old law banning gay adoption.

The only secular argument that really exists defending a prohibition on gay adoptions is that children may fare better in families headed by one man and one woman who are married. While that's certainly a possibility, it doesn't hold water in this argument for two reasons:

1. Evidence exists to suggest that gay parents actually do a great job at parenting. At least one study I've read was actually performed by the Canadian government and showed that kids raised in gay-headed homes fared just as well as their peers with respect to success in school, self-reported happiness, etc. (I hope to blog about this issue in detail some day.)

2. Even if it were someday shown that having a mom and dad were always the best situation, it still wouldn't preclude gay adoptions, since most states allow single people (including single gays!) and unmarried couples to adopt. Surely if one person can succesfully raise a child, two loving parents would be even better.

In this particular situation, though, it's a no-brainer. The kids were being raised by crack heads. Heterosexual crack heads. Now they're being raised by a very successful gay man and his partner. They are healthier, happier, and are likely to become great people someday. They are undeniably better off with the gay couple than their straight parents, which I think essentially bankrupts any argument against gay adoption.

PS Even some republicans agree!