Fighting for Gay Adoption Rights Homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted and integrated into today’s society, however, when it comes to homosexuals establishing families, there is usually a problem. In most states, homosexuals can adopt children like any other married or single adult. There are a lot of arguments to this topic, some people believe that it should be legal nationally, while others would prefer that is was banned everywhere, or at least in their individual states. Most gay and lesbian people often get offended when someone tells them that they can’t adopt a child because they are homesexuals.
It’s not illegal for homosexual couples to adopt a child, then again it’s not illegal for the head of the orphanage to deny the couple of adoption. This problem is one that is proving to be a bigger one than many people most likely expected. Homosexuals and heterosexuals are as interested in beginning families and raising children. A family should be based on love and trust, if these two elements are present in a relationship, homosexual or heterosexual, there would be no reason that the environment the couple creates for a child would be bad.
Some say the homosexual lifestyle revolves only around sex, which of course is the most inappropriate subject for a child (White, 1). For the most part, parents and adults keep stuff like that far away as possible from a child’s life and there would be no reason for a homosexual person to be denied for adoption. Denial of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) couples have been a big problem with the homosexual society. LGBT couples have to go through a big hassle to adopt one child or more. Reasons for denials of LGBT couples are all opinions.
Most people think it’s Enriquez 2 “unhealthy” for the child to be raised by a homosexual couples. By hearing this opinion, most LGBT couples often get offended because that statement means that LGBT couples aren’t able to raise a healthy child just because they are homosexual. LGBT couples often think that it’s illegal to adopt a child if the adoptive parents are the same gender. The theory is false because on May 16, 2013, Every Child Deserves a Family Act (EDCFA) went straight to the government for the rights of LGBT adoption and they got the rights approved (Rep. Lewis, 1).
No head of an orphanage shall not discriminate against or refuse homosexual couples. As of May 16, 2013, it’s now illegal for the head of an orphanage to deny a LGBT couple to adopt a child just because they are homosexual. ECDFA is an organization that prevents discrimination against any foster youth because of their sexual orientation or gender. This organization comes in handy for LGBT couples who want to adopt a child. Instead of going through all of the hassle to get the right to adopt a child, you already have the rights because of ECDFA.
EDCFA fights for gay rights on adoptions and lets LGBT couples have the family they always wanted and dreamt of. Adoption is a very important part of the American lifestyle. There are an estimated 500,000 children in foster care nationwide, and 100,000 of these children are awaiting adoption. In 2013, only one child of every six available for adoption was actually adopted (Sanchez, 13). Statistics like these show the true importance of adoption. In the United States, 11,064 same sex households with children, about 16% or 18,400 were bringing up one or more adopted children.
Although it may seem as if there are a lot of children awaiting adoption, the majority of Americans are affected by adoption in one way or another. In 2013, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute conducted a survey of 3,534 adults to examine public attitudes toward the institution of adoption and members of the adoption triad (Berger, 12) Some people say that children need both a mother and a father to raise them, but there are many others who believe that gender does not matter when parenting. 594,000 same-sex couple households in the United States, 115,000 have children.
Biological is 72. 80%, step only or adopted only is 21. 20%, and combination of both is 6% (LGBT Adoption, Life-Long Adoptions). That is a high percentage in the U. S. If most people saw these numbers they could see that it isn’t a bad thing and that LGBT adoption is just as good as heterosexual adoption. LGBT society isn’t such a bad thing. It’s mostly on beliefs and religions that criticize LGBT and don’t think it’s right for them to adopt. America has a lot of things to do with politics, especially when it comes to LGBT couples trying to adopt.
Number of findings suggest that most Americans feel some tension between their desire to be fair to those who are different from themselves such as homosexuals. Surveys show that acceptance of gays and lesbians has risen over the last 20 years, and currently about half of Americans say that homosexuality should be “legal” and “accepted by society. ” Very large majorities of Americans say that “as a matter of principle, the federal government should treat homosexuals and heterosexuals equally. Majority of Americans say that homosexuals should have equal rights in terms of job opportunities, but when questions refer to occupations such as teachers or parenting, support drops dramatically when homosexuality becomes an issue with occupations that deal with child, such as teachers, of course there would be a problem when homosexuality is mixed with parenting (Kafka, 27). The issue isn’t only in same sex adoption, it’s also in secondparent adoption.
When a child loses a biological parent, it is often harder for the child to grow up without having that other parent figure in their life. Second parent adoption could give the child protection in their life. Could be more protection or less. But is is better then the child having no protection at all. When same sex parents adopt a child, it is the best thing for the child to have 2 parents in their life instead of one. Second-Parent adoptions are not a big hassel, but they can get as much rights of the child as a biological parent could.
The second-parent adoption is often good for the child because they can have a better lifestyle even though their parents could be the same sex. The child could learn that same sex couples, marriage, and adoption isn’t a bad thing or a wrong thing. They can get the same education as everyone else and still have a healthy, fun life as a child with heterosexual parents. It’s healthier for the child to have 2 parents in their lives instead of one. LGBT adoption isn’t a bad thing in America. There is often obstacles stopping the gay parents from adopting a child and having a family.
There are still a lot of arguments on this subject and most of them are opinions in the world. For example, Denial of LGBT couple for adoption, it’s often an opinion. Then there is organizations like ECDFA that prevents discrimination against anyone who is trying to adopt, but mostly LGBT couples. Then again there are religious people and they all have opinions but most of them are theories. When a LGBT couple wants to adopt they should have the right to and have the right to be equal like everyone else and be happy.