For the past 26 years, the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study has studied families headed by two women to learn about the effects on kids of having two parents with the same gender. The most recent findings show that kids who lack a male role model are just as well-off as kids who do have one.

Of the 17-year-olds included in the study, about half of them (both boys and girls) say they had some kind of male role model in life, despite being raised by two women. But there was no difference in well-being between kids with a male role model and kids without. Likewise, presence of a male role model had no effect on traits associated with gender roles or boys’ adjustment to having two moms.

“Our data suggest that it would be inappropriate for healthcare professionals or social service agents to assume psychological disadvantage to offspring of same-sex parents who do not have role models of both genders,” the authors write. “Likewise, prospective same-sex parents who have concerns about the long-term impact of rearing children in single-gender-parent households should be advised that the quality of the parenting, rather than the sexual orientation of the parents, has stronger associations with the psychological adjustment of offspring. Finally, our data indicate no basis for denying child custody or restricting access to fertility services, adoption, or foster care based on family type.”

Well, well, well. What do you know.