Adoption by Gays- It's okay
"When a gay couple sought to adopt a boy- who had leukemia,had been neglected by his biological parents,had lived in five foster homes,and whose adoption was favored by his legal representative- the judge deemed it 'not in the interest of a seven-year-old male child to be placed for adoption into the home of a pair of adult male homosexual lovers.'"(Utne 58) Three years of searching for a qualified heterosexual couple failed. This and many other similar cases have denied children a family by ignoring many qualified homosexuals. With this being an age when people are supposedly more open-minded, why is it that gays are treated this way just because of their sexual orientation? Many Americans are still uncomfortable with the idea of gay parents. The traditional family has always included a mother and a father. However, today more and more families are being headed by gay parents. Some have children from previous marriages. Many must use artificial insemination or surrogate mothers because it is extremely difficult for gays to adopt children. Although it seems to contradict society's view of the traditional family, homosexuals should be allowed to adopt because they deserve equal rights, and sexual orientation is not a r
There are many reasons why people believe gays should not freely adopt. A major argument is that children need a male and female figure in their lives in order to develop emotionally. This is true, but most gays have family members and friends who can provide that role. "Most same-sex parents say they make a special effort to ensure that their kids learn to relate to adults of the opposite sex."(Kantrowitz 57) Melissa Etheridge and her partner, Julie Cypher, explain that their kids "will not live in a girl vaccum."(Kantrowitz 55) Many people worry that being brought up by gay parents will cause children to be gay. Much study has been done on this issue. "Researchers have not found any more or less of a tendency in children brought up by gays to be homosexual themselves."(Harris 4) Also, some believe that it is too traumatic for kids to have gay parents. What about being traumatized by an abusive alcoholic father? They hardly compare. For those who say that the children will be uncomfortable having gay parents, it is they who make the kids uncomfortable. "Gays say that what makes their children uncomfortable is not homosexuality itself but society's intolerant attitude toward it."(Henry 69) People need to realize that there are not really any verifiable reasons for why gays should not be able to adopt children. "Surveys suggest that a large majority of the American public generally favor anti-discrimination laws."(Harris 2) Why then, according to a Newsweek survey, do only 36% of those surveyed think gay couples should have the right to adopt? Samue
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Approximate Word count = 1064
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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