The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a statement on Thursday in support of gay marriage, saying that it, as well as full adoption and foster care rights for all parents, is in the "best interest" of children.

"The AAP believes there should be equal opportunity for every couple to access the economic stability and federal supports provided to married couples to raise children," said Benjamin Siegel, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, and a co-author of the group's policy statement "Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian," which will appear in the April 2013 issue of their journal Pediatrics.

“If a child has two loving and capable parents who choose to create a permanent bond, it’s in the best interest of their children that legal institutions allow them to do so," added Ellen Perrin, MD, FAAP, also a co-author of the policy statement, who explained that the updated policy reflects the "natural progression in the Academy’s support for families."

Rights groups praised the announcement.

"This announcement is the latest in a chain of evidence stretching back years that clearly states marriage equality is good for children," said Chad Griffin, president of advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. "As today’s announcement by the AAP underscores, marriage equality’s adversaries simply have no evidence to back up their absurd claims to the contrary."

The AAP statement comes a day after the Pew Research Center released its findings showing growing support for gay marriage in the U.S. over the past decade, a rise the Center describes as being "among the largest changes in opinion on any policy issue over this time period."

_____________________________