New Study: Children raised by same-sex couples do better in school

A new study by Deni Mazrekaj, Kristof De Witte (our very own All Inc! coordinator) and Sofie Cabus from the KU Leuven suggests that children from same-sex couples outperform children from different-sex couples at school.  Results outlined in the paper, School Outcomes of Children Raised by Same-Sex Parents: Evidence from Administrative Panel Data, suggest that children from same-sex couples record better scores on standardised tests and are 6.7% more likely to graduate.  

This groundbreaking study built on panel data in the Netherlands, the first country to legalise gay marriage and one of the first to start keeping data on same sex couples and their (adopted) children.  The overall conclusions provided by this research have been widely cited: among others, results were shared by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, De Morgen, De Standaard, De Telegraaf, The Independent and the Telegraph.  

Research of this nature is critical not just for providing a better understanding of the experiences of same-sex couples and their children, but for doing away with negative and polarising stereotypes around LGBT+ relationships.  It offers welcome evidence to LGBT+ advocates and supports the development of informed and inclusive policy-making.  

We invite you all to have a look at this important study.  We hope this is the first of many!  

The All Inc! Team