hypochondriac

If you look I said kids can cope fine without one parent but ideally they want two. Children will miss out on small things, if you work in a nursery for any length of time then you can always spot the three year olds who come from a single parent home.

I'm not sure what you are getting at. A single parent and a same sex parent is something completely different.

You. And wouldn't understand what? The potential negative effects that a same sex couple could have on a child's upbringing that a heterosexual couple would not have?

They don't. It's why in general straight couples are given priority.

Not sure why that is relevant. Am certain I have more experience of how upbringing affects children though.

I wouldn't say they NEED it (children can manage perfectly well with one parent) but it is infinitely preferable and you do miss out with a single parent. Go work in a children's nursery and after a while you can recognise the three year olds with single parents without being told. Seriously.

Same applies.

It isn't purely about school, it's about psychological upbringing of the child, their sense of identity and the qualities and advice (as well as motherly instincts) that only a mother can provide.

Can you not see how hypocritical it is to dismiss this 'rumour' yet make up another rumour that Lawrie is behind this article and totally believe it?

I like to think I have some knowledge in the area, considering my profession and also considering that I have an adopted sister.

Wow did you even bother to read what I was replying to? Franks Cousin was saying that the study he linked to was not scientific enough to be considered valid.

Yes but I was talking about parents of comparable quality which is what I tried to convey in my answers.

Psychological well-being of the child is also another factor

That's really how I stand on the issue as well. TBH I think if you are a same sex couple and you deprive a loving male female couple of a child by adopting one then you are pretty selfish.

That has nothing to do with people dismissing this as b*llocks yet denouncing Lawrie in the same breath.

Would love to mate but I bought the iphone from a shop and I have no idea who the guy is!

It is amusing that some have dismissed this totally as b*llocks yet in the same breath denounce Lawrie for starting the rumour!

Erm well yes because there are more considerations than just a 'child being loved.' That is a part (a very important part.) but there are other factors to take into consideration. I'm not saying same sex couples should not adopt, just that loving male and female couples should be given preference over loving same sex couples.

What if the alternative was not a traditional male female relationship but a home or being passed from foster parent to foster parent? (Not having a pop Turkish because I largely agree with you, just interested in your thoughts.)

Not surprising.

I think this is an interesting topic. Clearly in an ideal world where families consisted of a male and a female then the ideal is to keep children within that traditional setting. Obviously the world doesn't work like that and I see no reason why a gay couple cannot foster or adopt a child if the alternative for that child is worse than being adopted by a same sex couple (which may lead to some confusion or identity issues on the part of the child). However, in this case that is not the consideration. For a start, this just seems like some sort of publicity stunt or a new toy for Elton. Elton John is an extremely hateful individual, from being rude petulant and throwing childlike tantrums at photographers to his past drug abuse and feeling it appropriate to joke about his anal dildo in an interview from a couple of months ago he is clearly not a good role model for a child to have. On top of that, he is also an old man and it is unkind on a child to be raised by someone who may need someone to look after himself soon. I feel strongly that parents should be discouraged from having children later in life purely because it deprives the child of so much. So in summary, gay and lesbian couples should be able to adopt children IF they are the best option available (with a loving male female partnership being the ideal) but Elton John is too old and a terrible role model to adopt a child. If it was anyone else they would have been refused but because it is Elton it is allowed and that is wrong.

Coogan is a legend and totally correct with his comments. Anyone who created Partridge has my utter respect anyway.

Should have been subbed last night for Nguessun.

We hope.