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A Mouse With Two Mothers
jabberjaw writes "Both the BBC and Nature are reporting that scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture have used two sets of chromosomes belonging to a female mouse to create what are essentially fatherless mice. The process by which this was accomplished (parthenogenesis) does not naturally occur in mammals. The mouse used lacked a gene known as H19 which in turn activated the Igf2 which allowed this process to occur."
There are no statistics that show, children in homosexual couples grow better or worse off.
One of the problems is that you have such a wide gammut of heterosexual couples to compare too. When it comes down to it, the current research seems to indicate that a homosexual couple is slightly more successful in raising children than single parent families. Your suggestion that actual child birth (or adoption) consumates a marriage is interesting, and certainly speaks to the need for marriage.
However Adoption should be considered as a way to help infertile couples overcome a handicapp. There is a value to the state in helping people compensate for things they naturally would be capable of. Its demonstrated in the parking spaces, ramps, wheelchairs around us. However I do not support what would amount to being a subsidy for homosexuality (debated in sig).
The actual acts of marriage should stop being administered by the State
Actually the state just recognizes marriages. Well not entirely true, the State does provide a purely secular "Justice of the Peace" that performs marriages. The 800lb gorilla dictates that the state has a deep secular interest in marriage (just in case you feel the state should get out of the "marriage" business as in getting out of the religious morass of marriage). Besides, pushing the debate from marriage to "Civil Unions" does not remove the morass it just plays a shell game with the confusion. Its like arranging the deck chairs in the Titanic.
This way, the Society will reward exactly those it should want to, regardless of their sexual orientation, which is not, regretfully, a voluntary choice, it seems.
This is where the question turns. Is Homosexuality a disability or not? Is it a handicap? It certainly has the elements. One, the person can not choose out of their condition (as you suggest is true for homosexuals). Second it is diabilitating (as homosexual couples cannot reproduce). Yet no where is homosexuality considered a handicap. In my review, the strongest indicator of ones sexual preference is their personal choice. People can change.
I liken it to hypocondria, another condition where the person feels it is in their body not in their mind (even though hypocondria may in fact be determined in part by genetic and environmental factors also). While hypocondria (as with homosexualiy) appears to be changeable (I don't use the word cured because one isn't cured of a choice) they find that a large portion of them simply walk away whenever it is suggested in the discussion that they have the power to change their outlook on life. They leave when it is suggested that "its in your mind".