Dawn BarbouRoske, second from left, leans toward her partner, Jen BarbouRoske, after learning of the Iowa Supreme Court ruling in favor of legalizing gay marriage on April 3, 2009. Between them is their daughter Bre, 6. Their other daughter, McKinley,11, reacts to the ruling at left. (AP Photo/The Des Moines Register, Christopher Gannon)

The New York Times has an article about how the welfare of children from gay and lesbian relationships has become a central part of the argument of people in favor of same-sex marriage. Click here to read it.

It notes how, in the Iowa court case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage here, the plaintiffs had their children sign on as co-plaintiffs. That includes Jen and Dawn BarbouRoske and their children, all of Iowa City.

“What I did, it wasn’t just for my family, it was for a ton of families,” 12-year-old McKinley BarbouRoske told the paper.

The Times also quotes University of Iowa freshman Zach Wahls, whose mothers married in Iowa: “At the end of the day, it’s really about separate but equal. This isn’t just about lesbian and gay, it’s about tolerance and acceptance.”

The Times reports that some children from gay and lesbian homes, however, are wary of this argument.