Adoption For Gay And Lesbians

Julia E. Childress

Axia College

HHS/330

Lynette Johnson

I decided to write about a law that many people in Unites States are trying to get passed. If this law is passed it will restrict gay and lesbian couples from adopting children needy unwanted orphaned children. There are many people that feel because of there sexual orientation gay and lesbians should not have the opportunity o adopt and raise children. Many people in the U.S may or may not be aware of the overwhelming amount of children that there are at present moment. There are approximately 520,000 foster children in the United States. People may also not realize of those 520,000 over 120,000 of the children are available for adoption. In addition only about 50,000 of these children are actually taken into homes and adopted each year. Many people also do not know there are 16 states that are currently trying to ban gay and lesbian couples from adopting these needy children that are in The Department of Child and Family services custody.

There many people like child advocacy workers that feel a child should not be denied their right to be adopted into loving homes because of the potential parent's sexual orientation. Many child advocacy workers also believe that children and youth are better off in family settings regardless of the parent's sexual orientation rather than end up in orphanages. Families wither they are traditional, or gay are best suited to provide loving support for children. These families traditional or gay can teach the child about his or her culture. A family traditional or gay can care for these children when they are sick, and help them grow up to be well rounded adults. In the traditional or gay family, children can learn family skills, including how to parent their own children when they grow up. Orphanages however can never provide this type of support and bonding that a real family can provide. In addition these children many times are the product of the traditional heterosexual relationship, and for what ever reason these parent or parents decided to give up the child up to the state for permanent adoption. Some of the parents are unable to care for the children due to drugs or just are not able to support them mentally of financially. So many child advocacy workers feel gay and lesbians should be given the opportunity to give these children a much needed home that there traditional families failed to do.

Other people in the U.S however feel a child should be raised in a traditional family situation with a mother and a father, or even a single heterosexual parent but never a gay or lesbian couple. Many people believe children born to and raised by homosexuals may be inclined to play, dress, and behave differently than children raised in the traditional heterosexual homes. Many people feel a great number of young adult children raised in lesbians and gay homes will partake in or consider a same-sex relationship or may have an attraction to the same sex because they see the same activities every day and feel it is normal. They also are afraid these children with gay parents will experience a high degree of teasing and ridicule when attending school. Many people are afraid that Adolescent and young adult raised by lesbian mothers and gay fathers appear to be more sexually adventurous and less chaste

While others like social workers argue, is it not better to have two parents than on single-family parent? Is it not better provide a stable home for a disadvantaged child in order to help break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness so prevalent among inner city children? This research indisputably demonstrates that children of same-sex parents are as healthy, happy, and well-adjusted in every aspect of development as their peers. Not one study any social agency had preformed has found children of lesbian and gay parents to be deprived in any way. In fact most research shows the gender of the parent has little or no bearing on the child. What research shows it is the nurturing the parent provides determines how the child will fare.

The government actually saves money when it places children in adoptive