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Scholarly Articles

  • social science study“How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study”
    by Professor Mark Regnerus

  • social science study“Same-Sex Parenting and Children’s Outcomes: A Closer Examination of the American Psychological Association’s Brief on Lesbian and Gay Parenting”
    by Dr. Loren Marks.


  • social science study“What Can We Learn from Studies of Children Raised by Gay or Lesbian Parents?”
    by Associate Professor David Eggebeen.

  • social science study“Further Comments on the Papers by Marks and Regnerus”
    by Dr. Cynthia Osborne.

  • social science study“The Well-Being of Children with Gay and Lesbian Parents”
    by Professor Paul Amato.


  • social science study“Response to Paul Amato, David Eggebeen, and Cynthia Osborne”
    by Professor Mark Regnerus.

  • social science study“We See What We Seek: A Rejoinder to the Responses of Amato, Eggebeen, and Osborne”
    by Dr. Loren Marks.


  • Social Science Research“Parental Same-Sex Relationships, Family Instability, and Subsequent Life Outcomes for Adult Children: Answering Critics of the New Family Structures Study with Additional Analyses”
    by Dr. Mark Regnerus.
    (Available for purchase)

  • social science study“Introductory Remarks”
    by Social Science Research Editor-in-Chief James D. Wright.
    The Editor-in-Chief of Social Science Research explains the reasoning behind the publication of Dr. Regnerus’s original July paper.
    (Available for purchase)

  • social science study“Methodological Decisions and the Evaluation of Possible Effects of Different Family Structures on Children: The New Family Structures Survey”
    by Prof. Walter Schumm.
    An independent social scientist reviews the recent scientific literature on gay parenting to confirm that Prof. Regnerus’s decisions on how to categorize subjects in the NFSS were well within long-established precedents among credible, distinguished scholars, including socially progressive scholars.
    (Available for purchase)

  • Commentaries from around the Web

  • Public Discourse :  “The Vindication of Mark Regnerus,” By Dr. Matthew Franck (October 31, 2012)
    Dr. Matthew Franck reviews Mark Regnerus’s response to critics of the NFSS, Dr. Walter Schumm’s scholarly defense of Regnerus’s methods, and a larger lesson from the fallout of the NFSS: that a growing body of social science research strongly suggests that same-sex romantic relationships are inherently unstable. Part two of two.
  • Public Discourse :  “Mark Regnerus and the Storm over the New Family Structures Study,” By Dr. Matthew Franck (October 30, 2012)
    Dr. Matthew Franck reviews the New Family Structures Study and the reactions to it since its debut in June 2012. Part one of two.
  • social science studySlate :  Piece by Dr. Mark Regnerus
    “Does it really make no difference if your parents are straight or gay?”
    Read Dr. Regnerus’s own words about his new findings.
  • social science studySlate :  Exchanges between Regnerus and Saletan
    “The Gay Parents Study”
    Dr. Regnerus and Slate’s Will Saletan exchange letters on the merits of Dr. Regnerus’s study.
  • Baylor Institute for Studies of ReligionLetter from Social Scientists
    “A Social Science Response to the Regnerus Controversy”
    Social Scientists throughout the United States voice their support of Dr. Regnerus’s work in this letter.
  • The New York Times : Opinion Piece by Mark Oppenheimer (October 12, 2012)
    “Sociologist’s Paper Raises Questions on Role of Faith in Scholarship”
    A columnist at the New York Times summarizes the history of the New Family Structures Study’s public reception and talks about Dr. Regnerus’s personal background.
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education : Opinion Piece by Prof. Christian Smith (University of Notre Dame)
    “An Academic Auto-da-Fé”
    A distinguished sociologist condemns the severe criticisms of Dr. Regnerus as ideologically driven. He says Dr. Regnerus’s case reflects a wider lack of open debate in the social sciences that undermines the discipline’s scholarly integrity.
  • Public Discourse :  Personal Story of Prof. Robert O. Lopez (California State University–Northridge)
    “Growing up with Two Moms: The Untold Children’s View”
    Professor Lopez defends Dr. Regnerus’s work by referring to his personal experience of the effects of having been raised throughout his childhood by his mother and her same-sex romantic partner.
  • social science studyNew York Times :  Piece in Health by Benedict Carey
    “Debate on a Study Examining Gay Parents”
    Carey offers an objective presentation of Dr. Regnerus’s work, and the responses to it, that takes into account the caveats of the study.
  • social science studyNew York Times :  Opinion Piece by Ross Douthat
    “Gay Parents and the Marriage Debate”
    Douthat fairly represents Dr. Regnerus’s study and broaches policy implications.
  • Fox News :  Opinion Piece by Keith Ablow
    “Study finds host of challenges for kids of gay parents”
    Ablow presents a largely accurate read of the NFSS’s data and scope (though he refers to it as the NESS).
  • ABC :  Video Interview with Mark Regnerus
    “How Do Children of Same-Sex Parents Fare?”
    In this 2 minute clip, Dr. Regnerus gives the bare bones of the NFSS.
  • UT Austin :  Initial Release News Report
    “Adult Children of Parents in Same-Sex Relationships Report Varied Outcomes”
    This news article published on the UT-Austin webpage highlights Dr. Regnerus’ findings.
  • The New Republic :  Piece by John Corvino
    “Are Gay Parents Really Worse For Children? How a New Study Gets Everything Wrong”
    Corvino presents what has been one of the main criticisms of Regnerus’s study.
  • National Review Online :  Piece by Douglas W. Allen
    “The Regnerus Debate”
    Dr. Allen, a Canadian economist who has studied and reviewed family literature for 26 years, offers a thoughtful response to criticisms of Dr. Regnerus’s work. 
  • National Review Online :  Piece by Ed Whelan (Part 1)
    “Exposing the Schlock Social Science on Gay Parenting--Part 1”
    In Part 1 of a three-part article, Whelan reports the findings of Dr. Marks’s study. He provides citations of Marks’ article and corroborates Marks’s finding with an additional paper authored by psychologist Stanton L. Jones.
  • The Foundry :  Piece by Christine Kim and Jennifer Marshall
    “New Research on Children of Same-Sex Parents Suggests Difference Matter”
    Kim and Marshall introduce in the works of Dr. Regnerus and Dr. Marks in a manner consistent with the published work of the authors themselves.
  • Slate :  Critical Response by William Saletan
    “Does a new study indict gay parenthood or make a case for gay marriage?”
    Saletan responds to Dr. Regnerus’s     Slate publication.

  • Patheos :  Blog by Leahlibresco
    “And Speaking of Sample Size Problems...”
    The former atheist voice on Patheos praises FamilyStructureStudies.com for its upfront presentation of the NFSS data.