Rockway Institute Commentaries

Protecting gay youth in our schools
by Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
February 15, 2008

The recent shooting death of a 15-year-old student in Oxnard, California highlights the need for programs that help students accept peers who are different.  (more)

What Straights Can Learn From Gays about Relationships and Parenting
by Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
January 10, 2008

Psychological studies of lesbian and gay couples reveal two key factors that promote healthier relationships and provide examples for all couples: (1) flexibility about gender roles, and (2) equal division of parenting and household tasks. (more)

A family's health isn't dictated by parents' sexual orientation
by Jerry J. Bigner, Ph.D.
Published in the Rocky Mountain News
December 4, 2007

Is a family broken by divorce preferable to a family with same-sex parents? Is a family in which one parent has died preferable to a family with same-sex parents? Mitt Romney thinks so. During a campaign appearance Nov. 1 at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Romney used these examples to call attention to his support for a federal constitutional amendment “to limit marriage to the relationship between one man and one woman.” (more)

Governor Richardson: The only choice is whether to be “out.”
By Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
August 13, 2007

The audience gasped when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said sexual orientation was “a choice” during last week’s televised forum with Democratic presidential candidates on gay issues. The questioner, performer Melissa Etheridge, quickly tried to rescue Richardson, asking if he understood the question. "Well, I'm not a scientist," he said. "I don't see this as an issue of science or definition.” (more)

Fostering the Truth about Lesbian and Gay Adoption
By Robert-Jay Green, PhD
May 23, 2007

When big-money conservative advocacy meets high-speed journalism, the truth is sometimes unwittingly sacrificed.  In an article from The Economist, the annual operating budget of Focus on the Family was recently estimated as $150 million.  Well-funded right-wing groups deceive the media on a regular basis with their authoritative pronouncements and scientific-sounding names like “Family Research Council” and “Family Research Institute.” (more)

Welcome Samuel David Cheney!
By Robert-Jay Green
Published on RHRealityCheck.org (http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/)
June 7, 2007

Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne are the proud grandparents of a new baby boy. Their daughter Mary gave birth to Samuel David Cheney at a Washington D.C. area hospital May 23, 2007. (more)

Falwell's Antigay Stance: A Research and Mental Health Viewpoint
By Robert-Jay Green, PhD
May 17, 2007

The passing of Rev. Jerry Falwell brought massive news coverage and praise from politicians – Senator John McCain called him “a man of distinguished accomplishment.” 

Falwell’s death holds a different meaning for lesbian and gay people. (more)

Of Gay Parents and Easter Eggs
By Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
April 10, 2007

On the day after Easter, hundreds of families brought their children to the annual Easter Egg event at the White House. Among them were dozens of gay or lesbian-headed families. Their participation has drawn intense controversy and highlighted a need for public education about families with gay or lesbian parents. (more)

Words Hurt
By Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D.
March 19, 2007

Who will be the next national figure to say something derogatory about gay people? First it was basketball player Tim Hardaway... Next it was conservative commentator Ann Coulter... Then it was Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs...  (more)