Parenthood does funny things to people. Some of them reach new depths of patience and giving when a child comes along. Some people learn how to lay down the law firmly and calmly. And for gay male parents, their brains play double duty as both father and mother.
No, really. According to research by Ruth Feldman of Bar-Ilan University, the brain activity of gay male parents simultaneously resembles that of new fathers and new mothers.
According to the research, gay dads will tap into emotional parts of the brain (apparently related to mothers), as well as the interpretive parts (which are related to fathers). The result is essentially a two-for-one parent.
We even, apparently, have a leg up on our hetero counterparts, as FirstPost reports that “the brain also had extra communication lines between emotional and cognitive structures. The more time a man spent as primary caregiver, the greater the connectivity. It was as if playing both parental roles caused the brain to integrate the structures required for each.”
So next time you hear someone say that gay parents can’t raise a kid, just remember: gay parents are the best of both worlds.
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