Pros And Cons Of Same-Sex Adoption In The United States

In “Laws Should Support Loving Households, Straight or Not” (2002), Becky Birtha argues that homosexual couples should have the same right to adopting kids as heterosexual couples.

Interestingly, a recent case has further infringed upon the ability of gay partners to adopt a child in their marriage, thus highlighting the precarious legal status of a gay parent. In the case of Amalia C. and Melissa M., “Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court judge, Margarita López Torres, ruled on Jan. 6 that because New York State had enacted same-sex marriage in 2011 and allowed both women to be listed on the boy’s birth certificate, Amalia was already the child’s parent and could not adopt him.” (McKinley) This ruling has been troubling to gay rights advocates “because the presumption of parentage may not be respected if they leave the state,” according to Susan Sommer, a lawyer with the Lambda Legal Defense Fund (McKinley). Judge Torres, however, has stated openly that her reason for the ruling was because it places gay marriage on a separate footing from traditional marriage and while she is sensitive to the needs of those whose marriages may not be recognized in another state, she must abide by the laws of New York, which do not allow a heterosexual spouse to adopt a stepchild (McKinley).

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

The simple definition of adoption from a book by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering, “Adoption means belonging to and growing up with a new family when you cannot live with the family you were born into.”.( Shah 6) Adoption is being brought into another family when an individual’s birth parents does not want or cannot raise a child due to any reason. It was not their choice to be given up for adoption. Those kids are looking for good and new families to raise them and “An estimated two million LGBT people are interested in adopting.”. (Adoption Statistics 1) The estimate of two million people who are part of the community who want to adopt is a very large number. Many kids are looking for homes and those people who are interested in adoption should provide homes for those children without question. According to an organization called Lifelong Adoptions who are registered with the Registry of California Adoption Facilitators that linked to an equality maps, “Same-sex couples in all states can petition for joint adoption statewide.” (LGBT 1) which means it is legal to petition yet what goes on in the adoption hearing tends to prevent those couples from becoming parents. Hearings tend to bend or exaggerate the opposite side where the birth parents, the more

Within the last few years, homosexuality has become more socially acceptable. They are now coming out of the closet so to speak, ready to start having families and feeling a desire to adopt. However, only 15 states allow gay couples to adopt. Persons of the same sex are just as capable of nurturing, loving and supporting adopted children as a straight couple.

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

Gay marriage has in recent times seen a growing number of supporters. With this comes parenting and the urge to start a family but, as everyone knows a gay couple cannot get a biological child from both of the parents. This complication leads to many couples turning to adoption as a solution. Gays like everyone else are just as capable of taking care of a child if not more.

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.

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.

Marriage between a man and a woman has been accepted as the long-established, conventional way of raising a family for thousands of years. Now it is not only legal for gay couples to get married but also for them to adopt children of their own. To take such a long-standing practice and suddenly add major extensions to previous rules, it is no wonder that many people are wary about the subject. It is understandable that these new laws will not be accepted by everyone, especially by those who have lived with the normality of “regular marriage” their entire life.

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

“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.

According to the Michigan laws on LGBT adoption, the state does authorize single individuals to adopt. Although these individuals must first fill out paperwork in order to request to adopt. Michigan also allows a same-sex couple to fill out a request to adopt a child together. There are multiple policies dealing with different circumstances according to the board of directors of the National Adoption Center. This adoption center does have a policy for the adoption by members of the LGBT community. This includes that “all prospective foster and adoptive parents should be given fair and equal consideration to provide foster care and to adopt a child who needs a permanent loving home” (NAC). According to the National Adoption Center, they are fully against federal and state legislation and foster care and adoption agency policies that limit parents to adopt based on the individuals sexual orientation or gender

It is not easy to adopt a child, and it really shouldn’t be easy because that child needs a home that’ll treat them well. However, adopting a child while in a heterosexual relationship is hard, adopting a child while in a gay relationship is extremely difficult due to people’s

Gay adoption is a subject which is widely debated. However over recent years gay adoption has allowed for most gay couples who want to adopt young children and give them a good quality of life, which they would have if they lived with their biological parents or a heterosexual couple, to do so.