Prof Paul Sullins is a sociologist and Catholic priest. In this catch‑up I focus on his latest research. His work is child‑outcome focused and uses large‑scale US longitudinal data. Prof Sullins says, “a man and a woman together for life provides some very strong natural benefits” and “you just can’t replace that”. Watch our full conversation:
From his analysis of US national datasets, Sullins reports a consistent pattern. Children raised by their married biological mother and father record the best outcomes on average. At the other end of the scale are children raised by same‑sex parents.
Similarly, UK cohort research aligns with this child‑first picture by showing that marriage is the strongest anchor of parental stability, which underpins better outcomes.
In the interview, Sullins trails his newest line of work around those who leave a gay identity. The project appears as the Ruth Institute’s “Leaving Pride Behind” communications. Ruth Institute summaries claim that ex‑gays and ex‑lesbians together now outnumber those who continue to identify as gay or lesbian in the UK and likewise in the US.
The UK has boxed itself into a policy corner where Government can’t promote man-woman marriage for fear of being called names or accused of discrimination.
At C4M our case is unapologetic. Lifelong man‑woman marriage IS the gold standard for children and for society. It deserves space in public life to be taught, lived and celebrated. For too long, people have sought to undermine marriage by stealth and up-front redefinition. The fact is, objective data shows a child-first agenda will always champion the need for public policy to support and promote real marriage.