Kennett: Heterosexual marriages best for children

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has declared that he believes heterosexual marriages are better for the mental health of children.

In a veiled attack on same-sex marriage in his Herald Sun column today, Kennett used his leadership of national depression initiative beyondblue to back up his claims.

“There is no substitute for parents of both genders,” Kennett wrote.

“Happy heterosexual marriages are the best environment for the mental health of children.”

Kennett said that during his 11-year leadership of beyondblue, he had become increasingly concerned that children starting out in primary school are already stressed and anxious as a direct result of learning patterns they observe from home.

“Clearly the best environment in which to bring a child into the world is a stable, loving environment in which a male and female are married to each other,” he said.

Kennett said he also believed many people were afraid to express a view that married couples in a loving relationship provide children the best opportunity to prepare for a fulfilling and happy life.

He used the recent For Kids’ Sake report, commissioned by the Australian Christian Lobby and authored by the University of Sydney’s Professor Patrick Parkinson, as further evidence of his claims.

The report found that the “wellbeing of Australia’s children and young adults has declined sharply in the past decade, and …sliding marriage rates are partly to blame”.

Marriage equality advocates argue that the report actually strengthens the case for same-sex marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality national convener, Alex Greenwich, said it is cruel and hypocritical for those who say they uphold marriage as an institution to deny the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples raising children.

“The fact that marriage can provide greater security and stability for children is all the more reason to allow same-sex couples to marry,” Greenwich said.

“Those who truly believe in the benefits marriage brings to couples and children should be demanding these benefits are extended to same-sex couples and their children.”

Beyondblue have previously been criticised for failing to live up to their commitment to target depression in the LGBTI community.

In 2010, the organisation claimed the lack of LGBTI inclusion in its Clinical Practice Guidelines was due to an absence of “high quality” research, despite their own fact sheet quoting Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing homosexual and bisexual people have far higher levels of anxiety disorders than their heterosexual counterparts (31 percent compared with 14 percent); and more than triple the rate of depression and related disorders (19 percent compared with 6 percent).

Since the backlash, beyondblue has sunk $1 million into various LGBTI projects including the Private Lives survey, due for release this year, and research into an online early intervention model to tackle depression for those struggling with their sexuality.

You can read Jeff Kennett’s full column here.