Homosexuals better-accepted, but not for child-adoption rights
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-19 12:02

A recent survey indicates young people are more broad-minded about homosexuals as a group, with 75 percent of those polled accepting homosexual acquaintances, 37 percent among their friends and 21 percent among their relatives. However, few people agree with allowing homosexual couples to adopt children.

The random sampling, conducted among 324 students in the colleges and graduate schools of three local universities by a Shanghai Normal University professor, was aimed at discovering the younger, educated generation's attitudes towards homosexuals.

Cen Guozhen, a professor of psychology at Shanghai Normal University, released the results earlier this week at a psychology seminar in Shanghai.

"Most respondents display understanding and tolerance to homosexuals," Cen concluded, finding that 75 percent had no problem that some people around them were homosexual, and 71 percent saying they didn't think the presence of homosexuals affected society adversely.

However, their tolerance is still limited, with only 37 percent accepting the proposition of numbering a homosexual among their friends, and 21 percent among their relatives. More than half of those polled were afraid that homosexuals would have a bad influence on their families and their marriage, if they were married.

"The result of the survey shows that people accept the common rights of homosexuals, except the right to raise children," Cen said. Of those polled, 43 percent said they shouldn't be able to adopt, 34 percent said they were not certain about it, and only 23 percent said they should.

It's common sense that a family comprises a father and mother, representing a male and a female of different characters and of different sexual features. A 'father' and 'mother' of the same sex confuses a child's understanding of the world, Zen explained.