Is the American Family Association of PA an anti-gay rights group, or as their name suggests, are they really all about the importance of the family? It may be easy to see Diane Gramley and the group as simply homophobic and anti-gay, but their agenda is far larger than that based on comments made by Gramley last week. The reality is that Gramley wishes to push the Commonwealth of PA to end all divorce and possibly adoption while promoting polygamy. Did you realize there was a fringe group in Pennsylvania pushing for polygamy? Sure the AFAPA is using the issue of same-sex marriage as if that is their primary concern, but the rest of Gramley statement demonstrates their real agenda is much more restrictive.
Gramley cites the National Survey of Children’s Health, a study that found that children raised with both biological parents suffer less “adverse family events” than those raised with one or neither biological parent.The children shown in this study to sufferer adverse family events were from to 100% heterosexual families. In other words, under the guise of being opposed to 2% of the adult population marrying a same-sex partner, the AFAPA is actually pointing out how flawed heterosexual marriages are, and the possibility of adverse family events that result in them. So few states allowed same-sex marriage in 2011-2012 that this data can in no way make any conclusions about same-sex married couples or children within those relationships.
Based upon the data, to minimize adverse family events, Gramley demands Pennsylvania to end the two factors that stop “children raised with both biological parents.” If there was no divorce and no adoption, there would be close to 100% of children raised by both biological parents, and fewer children at risk. Heterosexuals are especially bad at this element of child raising. Consider that in 2008, almost 30% of those seeking a divorce were getting divorced for the second time. Indeed, divorce harms children significantly and heterosexuals are responsible for it. If we didn’t allow children to be put up for foster care and if we outlawed all divorce, we create a better environment for raising children according to Gramley.
There would still be some children at risk for adverse family events even if foster care, adoption, and divorce were outlawed. Sometimes a parent dies or otherwise isn’t present. To solve this issue, the AFAPA calls on Pennsylvania to accept Biblical Marriage (the linked story uses Biblical Marriage in the headline) which can only be understood as polygamy. In biblical times, since a woman had no way to support herself, if she was abandoned by the death of her husband or simply abandoned, it became her husband’s brother’s responsibility to marry her. As that brother may already be married, it was perfectly fine for him to have a number of wives, a relationship arrangement that today we call polygamy.
The study draws this conclusion:
National Health Statistics Reports Number 74 May 7, 2014
Children in nonparental care, especially those in foster care, are particularly likely to have experienced adverse family events. These events could have occurred at any time in the child’s life and could have preceded or contributed to the child’s current living situation. Nevertheless, children in nonparental care may be vulnerable to poorer health and well-being outcomes that are often associated with having had adverse experiences.
The data was determined by surveying and asking about nine adverse family events. These included:
National Health Statistics Reports Number 74 May 7, 2014
1) divorce or separation, 2) death, or 3) incarceration of a parent or guardian; whether the child had ever lived with anyone who 4) was mentally ill or suicidal or severely depressed or 5) had an alcohol or drug problem; whether the child 6) ever witnessed any violence in the household, 7) was the victim of violence or witnessed violence in the neighborhood, or 8) ever suffered racial discrimination; and 9) whether the child’s caregiver had often found it hard to get by on the family’s income.
It is glaringly clear than none of these are in any way associated with same-sex marriages. Therefore, the AFAPA’s real agenda becomes clear. They seek to use same-sex marriage as a distraction as they push their real agenda of ending divorce, foster care, and adoption.
The data suggests that same-sex marriage may actually be a positive force to improving the lives and outcomes of children.
Children with step parents or in adoptive families were excluded from the data. One reason same-sex couples seek marriage is as a way to protect their families, and to provide their children with two parents. This linked story is about two biological fathers who are were denied being listed on their children’s birth certificate.
Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs are the proud fathers of Lucas and Ethan, who were born in April, after they’d connected with a surrogate mom, CharLynn.
Each of the men is a biological father to one of the babies. But, because Texas has a ban on gay marriage (it was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge last February, but the decision was stayed pending appeal), and because a judge can use his or her own discretion in these cases, neither of the men is currently on the birth certificates of either of the boys, nor have they been able to co-adopt each other’s biological child.
Gays and lesbians make up about 1-3% of the adult population. Given that about 85% of heterosexuals seek marriage, it stands to reason that a similar number of gay and lesbian couples may seek marriage resulting in about 2% of the total population. In other words, the number of people involved, is significantly small. It is pretty sneaking of the AFAPA to try and use gay marriage as a distraction to push their real agenda of ending divorce and allowing polygamy such as in Biblical times.