Study Shows More Acceptance of Gay Parents

HOUSTON - A newly-released study reveals that more and more people in the Houston area support gay rights -- specifically, the right for same sex couples to adopt children.

In the Houston Area Survey, an annual report by Dr. Stephen Klineberg , the acceptance amount has almost tripled. The report found that only 19 percent of people in the Houston area favored adoption rights for same sex couples in 1991. In 2010, the percentage has increased to 52 percent.

Dr. Stephen Klineberg thinks attitudes are changing along with the times.

"Younger people are far more supportive than older people," said Klineberg. "Younger people are far more comfortable with diversity than older people."

Houston attorney Mitchell Katine and his partner adopted their children just before 2004, when Klineberg's survey registered a 37 percent acceptance rate.

"We're just a regular family doing our best to raise the kids," said Katine, who also handles the legal matters surrounding adoptions for other gay and lesbian couples.

"I think the main difference (in acceptance) is more and more people know somebody who is gay or lesbian."

Katine's children, Sebastian and Sebrina were both born in Guatemala. Born four days apart, they are not biological siblings, but they are brother and sister now.

The children have their own bedrooms, which they must keep clean in order to get their allowances.

Sebastian likes dinosaurs. Sebrina likes animals.They have family pets. And just like any other family, they take vacations.

But they do experience things other families do not.

"It hasn't happened in a while, but it used to," said Katine. "We'd be at a restaurant and the waitress would say something like, 'Oh, I guess it's Daddies' night out.' Like you left the ladies at home and you guys are taking your kids out. And we'd say, 'No, we're the family. This is it. There's no ladies at home.'"

Other than that, and a waiter or waitress's occasional offer to split the dinner check during a family night out, Katine says everyone has been accepting of his family.

"We live in a very nice suburban neighborhood and our neighbors are wonderful," said Katine. "We (also) have an end of the year pool party here for the school that our children go to and it is packed with parents and children and everyone is so accepting and wonderful."

Fatherhood has also been pretty wonderful, though it has been challenging. Sebastian underwent open heart surgery at Texas Children's Hospital when he was less than one year old.

Katine shudders at what could have happened to his son if he had been without medical care in Guatemala.

"I am really very fortunate that my life is complete and really with the adoption of Sebrina and Sebastian, they're the ones that made that completion occur."