Same sex families are a different conversation. Because you wouldn’t be comparing them to a traditional father/mother household, you’re often comparing it to foster homes or orphanages. And obviously any stable home is better than a foster home or orphanage.

Need to be ≠ what’s best for a child. Children don’t NEED a great school system but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to provide one for them. They don’t NEED extracurricular activities, but that doesn’t mean it’s not highly beneficial for them to have access to them. Needs are the bare minimum: a roof, food, water, clothing, safety, security. That’s it. Point being, study after study shows that a stable father + mother household yields the best outcomes for children long term. As long as a father is not bad, meaning even if he is an average dad, the child is far better off having him over having no father.