Should Same Sex Couples Have the Same Adoption Rights as Heterosexual Couples?
Krystal Davis
COM/220
March 13, 2012
Barbara Plyler
Should Same Sex Couples Have the Same Adoption Rights as Heterosexual Couples?
In 2008, President Barack Obama stated there are too many children who need loving parents to deny one group of people adoption rights (eQuality, 2005). A child will benefit from a healthy, loving home, whether the parents are gay or not (eQuality, 2005). With that statement in 2008 from the individual who holds the most powerful authority in the United States, why are gay and lesbian couples today still battling adoption laws? When in fact while trying to adopt and raise children a couple’s sexual
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Miraculously in 2010 Florida acknowledged that the adoption ban was unconstitutional (eQuality, 2005). In previous years homosexuals interested in the adoption process would use foster care to acquire the same nurturing family that heterosexuals had acquired thus, circumventing the system. The unconstitutional ban had the ability to deter potential same sex adoptive parents because they feared automatic exclusion. With the increased pressure from the gay community to allow same sex adoptions many adoption agencies are becoming more accommodating to homosexuals. However, the obstacles that same sex couples encounter tend to minimize the whole family structure and make the family unit vulnerable (Brown, Smalling, Groza, & Ryan, 2009). Unfortunately, there is a number of legal hurdles gay and lesbian couples face when trying to adopt therefore, the system has to be circumvented. Also same sex couples encounter individuals who subconsciously and consciously discriminate through a variety of behaviors including evident harassment or social exclusion (Brown, Smalling, Groza, & Ryan, 2009). It would seem as if the drive to prevent same sex couples from the benefit of joint adoption starts with the discrimination of these couples rather than the welfare of the child (Johnson, n.d). In fact, these discriminations include accusations of psychological disorders and a higher occurrence of domestic violence.
This article talks about the support of second parent adoption for gays everywhere. They support the idea that children with two capable adults no matter what gender are able and should be able to care for a child. Although they support this, the article does not show any sort of negativity toward the opposite side relating the issue. The site details the rights that the second parent should be guaranteed through an adoption. They also think that pediatricians and other professions dealing with children should get more familiar with learning about gays and the children they adopt. The authors are the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. The people in the committee have many different backgrounds and are advocates for children’s
The unjust and prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex is discriminating; according to the Oxford dictionary. This term does not empower them, but instead make people feel powerless. Same-sex couples in particular, who are looking to adopt, feel unequal to their heterosexual associates. In relation to adoption, there shouldn’t be preference to heterosexual couples over same-sex couples. Adoption typically is not an easy process, but when it comes to people of the same sex trying to adopt, what seems to be as simple as to buying a puppy, is very intimidating and discouraging. The laws that govern these decisions do not help at all. The inconsistency amongst all of the states in America makes the process even more challenging, to the point where couples give up. Same-sex couples who are fortunate enough to be allowed by the courts to adopt, are still being judgmental. The judgments are based on their parenting abilities and the effects their lifestyle they live, whether it will have a negative backlash on the children. The intention of my analysis on same-sex adoption is to examine some of the bifurcation and the challenges that these individuals encounter while trying to legally adopt a child.
Homosexual people have faced many trials and tribulations in pursuit of living a normal and happy life. There are many controversial events and topics that are barriers blocking complete happiness. Although those barriers are in place, the people in the LGBT subculture seem to making the best of every situation. Fighting for their rights and changing laws to protect them are paving the way for a brighter future. In hopes of being normal, many same-sex couples want to have a family and for some the only option is adoption. Well, same-sex adoption is not legal in most places which makes this dream for some impossible. This caused controversy between same-sex couples and the general public who believes that same-sex adoption should remain
This article is about engaging the homosexual community in the process of adopting each spouses children in the event that one of them dies. In this article two women are fighting the gay marriage law in michigan in order to have the rights to parental interest of their children. They are fighting that the law prevents them from co-adopting their three children. They argue that no other group in society has their rights to adopt their significant others children with held from them. That society should not be able to establish which parental unit homosexual or heterosexual is more qualified to raise children. There is no significant research that has proven whether straight or homosexual parents raise better children.
Child welfare services and the ACLU would agree that thecircumstances remain ideal for the child because having homosexual parents poses nodisadvantage to children (ACLU 2).The gay community is becoming more and more prominent in American society. Whatwas once an extremely ³closeted´ life style, is integrating itself into our everyday lives. As morerights are granted to gay and lesbian people, the more normal they are going to seem to everyoneelse. I¶m confident that my future children will grow up accepting homosexuality and that astime goes on, so will the rest of the country. So if the gay community is going to become sosignificant in our lives, shouldn¶t we grant them equal rights? If we can accept gays and lesbiansas people, partners, workers, and friends, why can¶t we accept them as good parents? When youlook at it logically, the exclusion of homosexuals as adoptive parents just doesn¶t make sense.³Love makes a family, not biology or gender,´ says gay dad Robert Calhoun about hisexperience as an adoptive father. Calhoun and his partner Clay of Avondale Estates, Georgiahave adopted two children-- four-year-old daughter Rainey and eighteen-month-old son Jimmy.Calhoun adds, ³We¶re not moms, we¶re not heterosexual, and we¶re not biological parents, [but]we¶re totally equal and just as loving as female parents, straight parents, and biological parents.´(Gandossy 1 ) The Calhouns certainly seem capable of providing just as much love and
In conclusion, the augment for gay adoption is far stronger and far better supported than those opposed. One must admit that sexual orientation is fundamentally irrelevant to a person’s capacity to be a good parent. The opposition to gay and lesbian adoption has failed to support its
Attention getter: Discrimination against gay men and lesbian women has been socially recognized for hundreds of years and still continues today. Homosexuals have adopted children for many years, regardless of fear and prejudice. The controversy of this matter is why homosexuals are not presented the equal fairness of the process and open opportunity as heterosexual couples who seek to adopt or foster children. There is a certain extent to which the sexual orientation of couples (or single potential parents) seeking to adopt children impede on the opportunity to provide children with a permanent and stable home.
In the United States there are 397,122 children living in the foster care system, and of those children, 101,666 are able to be adopted (Facts and Statistics). These children need stable living environments to grow up in. Without them, they are more likely to be convicted of crimes, become homeless, and abuse substances. There are options for these children that shouldn’t be pushed aside. Adoption by gay couples has been debated for decades. The issues here include: Adoption rates, compared parenting, drawbacks, and positives.
Since the 1990’s approximately 8-10 million children in the US alone are raised in a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) household. Same-Sex Adoption is controversial because many people throughout the world are against LGBT adoption; but when faced with the number of kids who pray everyday for someone out there wanting to be the parent of a foster child, it is difficult to understand why the topic of gay adoption is controversial. Yes, there can be a bad outcome but there can also be a very good outcome of these kinds of adoptions. The LGBT Adoption situation can be fixed by allowing any adult or parent to adopt a child if they have the right living environment or the knowledge and skills that it takes to raise a kid in the proper way. But social workers have reservations on considering gay adoptive parents because they are fearful of how the parents will treat and raise the children and how they will grow up feeling. People who oppose same sex marriage, including U.S. elected officials, have argued that a child raised by a LGBT parent will need additional emotional support or will face social challenges compared to children with heterosexual parents (Borreli). Although many people believe that LGBT parents shouldn’t be allowed to adopt because it affects the child, LGBT parents should be allowed to adopt because many kids need a place to call home or someone they can call family, they need someone in a similar situation that they can talk
Gay adoption and parenting are one of the sexual orientation issues affecting the society today. It involves two men who adopt children and raise them as their kids. There are various ways of adopting children, including agency adoption, independent adoptions and the identified adoptions (Golombok et al., 458). After adoption, children are brought up with the parents of the same sex. For gay adoption, it involves both male parents (Goldberg, Jordan, and April, 168). Different challenges are, therefore, faced by such families, including prejudice and discrimination and lack of both maternal and paternal support. Therefore, gay adoption and parenting is an issue that has affected children and family and interventions such as education on how the act has a negative effect on the well-being of the children need to be put in place.
There are currently 107,011 kids in the U.S. foster care system that are hoping and waiting to be adopted, so just imagine how many of those children could be adopted if more lesbian and gay couples were able to adopt. According to lifelong adoption agencies more and more gay and lesbian couples are becoming parents through artificial insemination, a surrogate, or LGBT adoption. It’s hard for same sex couples to adopt because adoption agencies that have religious beliefs against same sex couples reject them, or a state law prohibits same sex parents. Same sex couples face much opposition from a large number of people even though they do not have well supported arguments for their beliefs. Many studies have been done in an attempt to figure
Gay parents are facing discrimination because of their sexual orientation. Twenty-two states currently allow single gays to adopt and 21 states currently allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt in the U.S. (Mallon, 2007, p. 6). The ability of gay couples to rear a child should not be denied only because they are gay. Homosexuals may be looked down upon by society, but they still are humans and have morals. These morals they possess, may influence a child more than those morals taught to a child with heterosexual parents. All over the world, children suffer in families consisting of alcoholics, drug abusers, and sexual abusers (Powell, 2007, p.1). It is not possible that these environments are safer than what would be provided by homosexual
First of all, homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. The goal of our adoption and foster care systems is to provide all children with permanent, stable homes with loving and supportive parents, but discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status hinders that. State governments bear discrimination, economic costs, same-sex couples are denied the ability to build a family, and, most importantly, children in need of loving and permanent homes are left in unstable caregiving situations. Over the years' child foster care has increased by a big number. With all these restrictions on homosexuals trying to adopt children doesn't help the number go down at all. People are trying to start a family and they can't because people don't believe it's right
“About 19 percent of same-sex couples raising children reported having an adopted child in the house in 2009, up from just 8 percent in 2000.” As society changes there opinions on same-sex marriage they more gays and lesbians are adopting. There was recent rise in same-sex adoption but there is still people in U.S. that are against same-sex adoption. Recently a judge in Kentucky objected gay and lesbian adoption. This caused a huge uproar and had people thinking whether or not gay and lesbian adoption is okay for the children. One article feels that state legislators are putting more hurdles in the way of adoption and preventing children from getting into loving and caring homes (“Adoptions are declining,”2017). Gays and lesbians being able to adopt will provide loving homes, get kids out of foster care, and they choose to be parents.
Since the early 1900s, homosexual people have become increasingly popular and greatly resisted. People that are homosexual face barriers placed upon them by the political system and society. Due to these challenges, homosexuals fought to have the same marital and parental rights as heterosexual people. Same-sex adoption is not prohibited in most states in the United States of America and many places worldwide. Family is not determined solely on blood relations and should be legalized in all parts of the world; because homosexual parents are just as good as heterosexual parents, if not better, and can provide an enriching second chance for many children waiting to be adopted.