Dear Sir,

Having read Henry Dowling’s opinion in Monday’s newspaper, I was surprised to see him evoke sociology to support his position.

Perhaps that is because the ASA (American Sociological Association) has already made a statement on the matter and it does not support to his view.

In a February 2013 press release related to United States Supreme Court in same-sex marriage cases, Cecilia Ridgeway, then the ASA president, made the following statement: “The results of our review are clear. There is no evidence that children with parents in stable same-sex or opposite-sex relationships differ in terms of wellbeing. Indeed, the greater stability offered by marriage for same-sex as well as opposite-sex parents may be an asset for child wellbeing.”

I would caution against divisively using “sociology” in the future. As someone trained in sociological science and research, I can assure you the American Sociological Association supports homosexual relations and marriage equality.

MATTHEW R. HOWE