Before the Supreme Court of the United States legalised same-sex marriage, four adult children who were raised by same-sex parents submitted briefs to the Supreme Court opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage ("Gay or straight parents, kids turn out the same" by Mr Clement Lin Yihao; Forum Online, last Thursday, and "Same-sex marriage legalised across US"; June 27).

They also publicly shared their experiences, in which they reflected on the same-sex parenting environment they were raised in.

A common theme was that they all felt something was lacking in their growing-up years due to their not having a mother or a father. Every one of them recounted how this negatively affected their development.

Hence, they have now realised the importance and benefits of a one man-one woman marriage for children. There are others like them who were also raised in same-sex parent households, but many are afraid to speak up, for fear of activist backlash or media silencing.

In considering the effects of same-sex parenting on children, we should pay careful attention to the very people whose lives are affected - the children themselves.

We need to learn from their stories and not repeat those mistakes for other children.

Cindy Teo Yan Har (Madam)