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Malia Black

Ms. Collins

3rd Period

13 April 2017

Gay and Lesbian Adoption in America

Most people wake up every morning to one or two loving parents. Their parents love

them unconditionally, and the children love them unconditionally. Some people are adopted, but

their parents love them like their own. Gay and lesbian adoption is a rising issue all around the

world, especially in America. It is a good way for children to become adopted, and it gives

people who cant have children of their own the chance to become great parents. Gay and lesbian

adoption is beneficial, encouraged, and supported throughout the United States. Adoption

agencies in the United States have a large amount of children in the system. Gay and lesbian

couples willing to adopt is great for children have been in the system for a long time. Although

there are some counterclaims that conflict with society's idea of the perfect parents, religious

ideas and where homosexual couples want to adopt. Gay and lesbian adoptions are objections in

relation to anti-homosexual ideas.

Gay and lesbian adoption is seen in society as a topic that has many pros and cons. There

are many children who are without homes in the United States of America. There are an

estimated 397,122 children who do not have permanent homes based off information found by

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. .. approximately 101,600 of these children

are eligible for adoption. (Farrell 1). Many couples who cant bare children of their own wish

to become adoptive or foster parents. Gay and lesbian couples are among those couples who
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aspire to raise these children as their own. There are state laws that determine whether or not a

gay or lesbian couple can adopt a child. There were twelve states that did not allow for gay and

lesbian couples to adopt children together. Prior to the the LGBT community earning the right to

legally have same-sex marriages. Farrell (2016) found that, The Christian fundamentalist

organization Focus on the Family is a vocal opponent of gay and lesbian adoption. Many

people who have religious conflicts believe that same-sex couples are not in the best interest of

the child.

For this reason, there are many concepts in society that are based off of an heterosexual

perspective. Society, characterized by a heterosexist or heterosexual perspective, is slow to

accept alternative family structures. (Farrell 1). Same-sex couples are a great way for children

to become adopted. For each adopt there is a person called a contractor, who oversees the of

whole adoption of the child. The contractor has the power to deny the hopeful parents the child,

if they feel the parents arent capable of taking care of the child. Unfortunately in many cases

there are contractors who have religious beliefs that conflict with the idea of homosexuality.

Some states have enacted laws that allow state contractors that oversee adoptions to bar LGBT

individuals from adopting children if doing so conflicts with the contractor's religious beliefs.

(Farrell 1). ( Gay and Lesbian Adoption: An Overview)

Comparatively there arent many differences when it comes to homosexual and

heterosexual parenting. Same-sex couples contribute to the large number of parents who are

raising children in the United States as well as heterosexual couples do. Whether those children

are biological, step, or adopted children. Although, a same-sex couples is more likely to be

raising a child whom they have adopted. Many adoption agencies have no problem giving same-

sex couples the chance to adopt a child. Unfortunately, there are always two major aspects for the
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prospective parents to consider when trying to adopt a child. Brodzinsky found two key factors

that impacted willingness to consider homosexuals as adoptive parents: the religious affiliation

of the agency and the type of children it placed.(USA Today Magazine 8). It may depend of the

type of agency they contact, it is either public or private. Many of the private agencies are

affiliated with a religion. Studies have found, that most agencies that are linked with Christian

beliefs are never willing to aspect same-sex couples as prospective parents. However the

agencies that have ties to Judaism are accepting of same-sex couples adopting children. ...92%

of Jewish-affiliated agencies were willing to accept applications from gay and lesbian

individuals. Given that, there are problems that arise when an agency has a homosexual couple,

that may initially affect their chances of adopting a child. Prior to earning the right to

homosexual marriage, many agencies required that a couple had to be married. Through for, two

people who claimed they were in a relationship could not be applicants for adopting a child.

Some agencies can not consider applicants who are single whether they are heterosexual or

homosexual. There is also a problem for couples who what to try international adoption. That

being said, the other country has to be open to a homosexual couple adopting that child.

Adoption agencies focused on international placements were willing to accept applications,

depending on restrictions placed by the country of origin, such as China, which prohibits

homosexual adoption ( USA Today Magazine 8). Many adoption agencies in the United States

want to encourage more homosexual couples to adopt, to give more children the chance to

become adopted. (USA Today Magazine)

After all, there are many gay and lesbian singles and couples who are raising children in

the United States. According to the 2000 US Census, about 25 percent of gay and lesbian

couples are raising children. Regardless of local decisions and state laws, these families live in at
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least 96 percent of all counties in the United States. (Driscoll 3). State laws can also play a

factor in homosexual couples adopting a child. There are some states that have passed laws

forbidding homosexuals from adopting children. Uniquely, this even includes the adoption of

children that are from previous heterosexual marriages. These kind of adoptions are called

second- parent adoptions. When a couple is looking to adopt there are preferences they may have

regarding the selection of the child. There are children who have been in the system for a long

time with whom come with a lot of problems. Many homosexual couples are willing to adopt

children that are older. Generally, the children who have been up for adoption for quite a while

come with many problems. Many of these (often older) children have behavioral, emotional, or

developmental problems that stem from neglect or abuse. (Driscoll 3).

The history of homosexuallity in society, is one that has a very hard past. Homosexualilty

was thought to be mentally ill. The American Psychological Association, following in the

footsteps of the American Psychiatric Association, retracted that position after research proved

that sexual orientation had no inherent effect on mental disorders in 1975.(Driscoll 3).

Homosexuals have struggled with acceptance from peers, family members, and society. Yet

many of them have found a way to embrace who they are as a person. That is something that

many children struggle with regardless if they are up for adoption or not. As a matter of fact,

same-sex parents are more capable of teaching children the necessary skills to deal with ridicule

that comes as a result of homophobic attitudes.(Driscoll 3). There are stereotypes that say

homosexuals are more likely to harm children by sexual abuse. Driscoll (2016) said that 90

percent of pediphilles are actually heterosexual, not homosexual. (3). Obviously there is one

difference between a heterosexual couples and homosexual couples; the difference being whether

a child has a mom and a dad, two moms, or two dads. Both sexual orientations are qualified to be
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the best parents they can be by supporting and guiding their children. ("Counterpoint: Sexual

Orientation Should Not Be a Deterrent to Adoption.")

People who are against same-sex adoption, think that the child is going to grow up to be

homosexual. That idea, is bias, because there are many homosexual individuals who have

heterosexual parents. The same can be thought about heterosexual individuals. If such an

argument were true, then it would be reasonable to assume that all children of heterosexual

children would grow up to be heterosexual. This is obviously not the case. (Driscoll 3).

In contrast, many opponents of homosexual parenting, think that there is no gender-

specific role model for the child. A study that compared divorced heterosexual couples to

lesbians, found that the lesbian couple is more likely to promote the child to stay connected with

their biological father. Notably same-sex couples can divorce, which then can lead to emotional

problems for the child. There are still many states that do not allow same-sex adoption, so if a

parent moves out a state that did allow it and moves into a state that doesnt allow it.

Consequently, that parent is legally not allowed to parent that child or children anymore. The

American Psychological Association strongly supports second-parent adoptions because the

mental health risks are otherwise too great. (Driscoll 3). ("Counterpoint: Sexual Orientation

Should Not Be a Deterrent to Adoption.")

As an illustration, there was a survey that asked Americans whether or not gay and

lesbians should be allowed to adopt children. The study found that many people were supportive

of homosexual couples adopting children. "In general, adults in the U.S. continue to be more

supportive of same-sex parenting than legal recognition of same-sex relationships or

comfortableness with same-sex sexual behavior," said Gates. (Swift 2). Generally people

between that ages of 18 and 29 are more supportive of homosexual rights, than older people are.
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Some agencies require a couple to be married in order to adopt a child the couple so many

homosexual couples werent eligible to adopt a child from a agency. A majority of Americans

across all major demographics now say same-sex couples should have the legal right to adopt a

child. This includes among all key political persuasions: 80% support among Democrats, 61%

support among independents, and 51% support among Republicans. (Swift 2). ( "Most

Americans Say Same-Sex Couples Entitled to Adopt.")

For that fear when an agency encounters a couple that is gay or lesbian there are legal

problems. It isnt a new thing when people hear stories about homosexuals being discriminated

against. In particular, the court case Lawrence v. Texas was determined to put an end to

discrimination against gay and lesbian. the Supreme Court increased constitutional protection

against discrimination for homosexuals (Patterson n.p). The court ruled that people can not be

discriminated against because of the sexual choose and preferences. Although agencies can deny

someone based of the something more than just a moral judgement or if it is ethical or not. In

like manner, the other part of the argument of homosexual adoption is the placement of the child.

Many people think that children should be placed in a home that is safe, comfortable, and loving

for the child. Furthermore, people think that a homosexual household is not an environment that

a child should grow up in, because it is not the traditional mother and father household.

Agencies are there to do what best fits the needs for the child, and if the prospective parents are

capable of doing so. ( Homosexual Rights and the Placement of children.)

Gay and Lesbian couples arent just restricted to the traditional type of adoption. They

can use international adoption, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy.It is most of that a lesbian

couples will choose to use in vitro fertilization. Unfortunately there can be a problem if the

mothers legally arent allowed to jointly have custody of the child. So, the child legally only has
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one mother and a father they might not ever know. Many gay and lesbian parents make the best

of what's available to them, mixing and matching different adoption types to create their

families.(Allen 42).Many times, there are medical problems that might prevent a woman from

having a child. It is very common for a woman, to have had a child from a previous heterosexual

relationship. Some states allow for partners to adopt the children from previous marriages, which

is called second parent adoption ( The Adoption Option).

Under those circumstances, there arent many problems for a heterosexual couple

compared to a homosexual couple. A childs best teacher should be his or mother and father. If a

child grows up in a homosexual household, then they are missing either a mother or father,

because there wont be a gender specific role. There is only one right way to raise a child,

because that is what the bible says. A child learns right from wrong from his or hers mother and

father. That child is supposed to honor his or hers parents. Having two men or women as parents

is not the right way to raise a child and a child can only be conceived between a man and a

woman. Therefore, gay and lesbians arent a natural part of becoming parents (Point of View:

Gay & Lesbian Adoption).

Heterosexual adoption is accepted in the all states, so problems that involve court cases

arent very common. About 30 states grant "second-parent adoptions" to gay and lesbian

couples by law or lower court rulings (Wolf n.p). Yes, the traditionally family, is composed of a

mother, father, and children. That is a respectable and very common way to have a family. The

gay and lesbian community are used to being discriminated against but and many have learned

how to deal with the hate that surrounds them. They can be great teacher to children to help them

with struggles of discrimination and hatred. A sense of understanding how that child many feel is

important when it comes to parenting. Even though the gay and lesbian community can legally
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get married now, there are still laws that restrict them from adopting children.Thirteen states

Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North

Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas prohibited same-sex marriage before the

Supreme Court decision (Beitsch n.p). Gay and lesbian people are willing to adopt children

that are in foster care, but fortunately there are states laws that prohibit that. Gay and lesbians

should not be allowed to be foster parents, because many of those children are already in a

fragile and sensitive situation. The confession of having same-sex parents is not healthy

mentally or emotionally for the child. Yes, it is true that these children come with a lot of

emotional and mental problems, but having loving parents can help them cope with that pain.

There are many hetersexual foster parents that dont care for the children they take care of, most

of the time they are in it for the money. Gay and lesbian people are just as capable of parenting a

child as a hetersexual couple is.

It is often that children dont think about the sacrifices that their parents make for them.

Once we grow up we think about how we will be as parents. We think to ourselves are we going

to be good enough ? We would like to think that once we become parents, that we are stable

enough financially, emotionally, physically, and emotionally to provide for our children. These

are the same thoughts that any human being asks oneself, whether they are gay, lesbian or

straight. Adoption is a vexed issue, but the underlying focus should always be the right of a

child to legal protection and a safe, loving and nurturing home. Gay or straight, that's what

counts ( Rethink on Gay Adoption Long Overdue).

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Works Cited
Adoption More Open for Gays and Lesbians." USA Today Magazine, vol. 131, no. 2695,
Apr. 2003, p. 8. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pwh&AN=9468498&site=pov-live.

Allen, Dan. "The Adoption Option." Advocate, no. 864, 28 May 2002, p. 42. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=6720628&site=pov-live.

Beitsch, Rebecca. "Despite Same-Sex Marriage Ruling, Gay Adoption Rights Uncertain
in some States." Stateline.Org (Washington, DC), 19 Aug. 2015. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pwh&AN=2W63653205753&site=pov-live.

Chittom, Lynn-nore and Geraldine Wagner. "Point: Children Suffer with Same-Sex
Couples." Points of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption, 3/1/2016, p. 2. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=26612588&site=pov-live.

Driscoll, Sally and Alexander Stingl. "Counterpoint: Sexual Orientation Should Not Be
a Deterrent to Adoption." Points of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption, 3/1/2016, p. 3.
EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pwh&AN=26612589&site=pov-live.

Farrah Tomazin - Farrah Tomazin is Sunday Age state political, editor. "Rethink on Gay
Adoption Long Overdue." Sunday Age, the (Melbourne), 12 Apr. 2015, p. 35. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=SYD-
6K0RMQUHUUGG6Q4G8BB&site=pov-live.

Farrell, Courtney and Flynn Simone Isadora. "Gay & Lesbian Adoption: An
Overview." Points of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption, 3/1/2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=23364458&site=pov-live
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Richard, Wolf and TODAY USA. "Supreme Court Voids Lesbian Adoption Ruling."
USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pwh&AN=J0E115906699016&site=pov-live.

Swift, Art. "Most Americans Say Same-Sex Couples Entitled to Adopt." Gallup Poll Briefing, 30
May 2014, p. 2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pwh&AN=96398720&site=pov-live.