One of the most common concerns against LGBT couples adopting is the well-being of the children

However, over 30 years of research consistently shows that children raised by same-sex parents do just as well as those raised by heterosexual parents and sometimes even better in terms of emotional health, academic performance, social adjustment, and gender identity and sexual orientation development. A 2010 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that "children's well-being is affected much more by their relationship with their parents, the quality of parenting, and the presence of social and economic support than by the gender or sexual orientation of their parents."


In both Canada and the United States, there is a serious need for adoptive families. Thousands of children remain in foster care or group homes, waiting for permanent families. In Canada, over 30,000 children are in the child welfare system, and many age out without ever being adopted. In Ontario alone, over 12,000 children were in care as of 2023. LGBT individuals and couples represent a growing pool of loving, willing parents who can help reduce these numbers and provide children with stable homes.

Discrimination hurts children, too, not just adults. When LGBT couples are denied the right to adopt, it's not just a civil rights issue. It directly harms children by reducing the number of available homes. This especially affects older children, siblings who need to be adopted together, and children with disabilities or complex needs. Studies show that LGBT couples are more likely to adopt children that are harder to place, meaning they're helping where the need is greatest.

Denying the right of adoption to LGBT couples isn't just discriminatory. It's harmful to the thousands of children in need of homes. The research is overwhelmingly clear: sexual orientation has NO bearing on parenting ability. Love, care, and commitment are what matter the most. LGBT parents offer all of that and more.