KarMel Scholarship 2008

Essay

“Adoption for All”

By Nathan Beito

Desciption of Submission: “Detailed account of pros and cons in favor of gay and lesbian adoption with polling evidence and and professional proponents.” - Nathan

Gay and lesbian adoption is a topic of debate within many states. Currently, Florida is the only state to prohibit adoption by gays and lesbians. Only six states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow gay and lesbian adoption. With the number of children in foster care at around 500,000 and growing, states need to allow adoption by all suitable parents regardless of their sexual orientation. Finding children permanent homes should be a top priority in today’s society. Homosexuals have been trying for years to secure the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. One of these rights is the right to marry. Some opponents of gay and lesbian adoption mistakenly try to fuse the issues of marriage and adoption together. New federal legislation must be passed to allow gays and lesbians the right to adopt, giving both adults parental rights.

Years ago, homosexuality was classified as a disorder by the scientific community. As society progressed, this decision was repealed. Accordingly, public view on gay and lesbian adoption has been shifting. A study conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates published in Newsweek in 1996 showed that forty-seven percent of Americans oppose gay adoption rights, while thirty-six percent are in favor of such rights. These results are dramatically different from a similar poll published in Newsweek in 1994, where sixty-four percent opposed and twenty-nine percent supported. This goes to show that there is nothing inherently “wrong” with homosexuals, and public opinion is showing more support for the gay and lesbian community.

There are an estimated three to thirteen million minor children in the United States that have a parent that is gay or lesbian. It is difficult to determine a more definite number due to the men and women who do not report their sexual identity for fear of persecution or losing custody of the child. Many of these children are the product of artificial insemination or have been placed in the custody of their gay parent after divorce. These divorce cases, where one parent has identified as gay, started showing up in the court systems in the 1980’s. Most of these divorces involved child custody, where the fate of child was decided on a case-by-case basis by a judge. Usually, the judicial system tries to keep the best interest of the child in mind when deciding custody. However, some judges are prone to regard a parent’s sexuality as a disqualifying factor for child placement. This can be shown in a horrific case where Alabama Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore denied a lesbian custody of her three children because her homosexuality was “an evil disfavored under the law,” and said that the state should “use its power to prevent the subversion of children toward this lifestyle, to not encourage a criminal lifestyle.” This case-by-case basis is another proposed solution to the question of gay adoption.

In a poll conducted in 1997 for the Human Rights Campaign, seventy-eight percent of voters believed that gay and lesbian adoptions should be handled on an individual basis and not by the federal or state government. The results of this poll are inspiring in that a majority of Americans are willing to at least entertain the idea that homosexuals can be allowed parenting rights.

Opponents of gay and lesbian adoption argue that children raised with same-sex parents are at a disadvantage by not having both a mother and a father. The argument continues that without both genders present as parents, children will become confused about their own sexuality. Homosexuals and civil rights groups cite a number of studies showing that children raised in gay and lesbian families are just as adjusted, and have no more confusion about their sexual orientation than their counterparts. Charlotte Patterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia reviewed twenty studies of gay parents and concluded their children had the same psychological development and performance in school when compared to children raised by heterosexuals. Even opponents of gay and lesbian adoption agree that, in some cases, it should be allowed.

Professor Lynn Wardle of Brigham Young University states, “Even after married prospective adopters adopt, some parentless children may remain in need of adoption. As to those children, the constitutionality of a rule against gay couple adoption may depend upon the alternatives available. Of course, this argument is flawed in giving preferential treatment first to heterosexual married couples, then to gay and lesbian couples. The fact remains that Professor Wardle agrees that children in foster care deserve parents, gay or straight. An increase in acceptance of gay and lesbian adoption can also be seen in many professional organizations.

A few organizations that have publicly supported gay and lesbian adoption are the American Psychological Association, the National Associated of Social Workers, the American Association of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). The CWLA is the organization that is responsible for governing the rules for adoption. All of these professionals have stated that parents should not be automatically disqualified based on their sexual orientation. Applicants should be considered on, among other things, the ability to raise a child in a healthy, stable home. The people that belong to these organizations are highly trained, intelligent people that are trusted by most of society. However, a small portion of the scientific community feels differently than the majority.

Family Research Institute Chief Paul Cameron and the Family Research Council’s Timothy Dailey argue that homosexuals, particularly gay men, are more likely to molest young boys. This theory has been rejected by most of the scientific community as a whole. Cameron and Dailey try to make their case by showing that about one-third of molestation cases involve a man molesting a juvenile boy. By their definition, they insist that these adult men should be classified as gay men. The argument goes on to say that because gay men make up a smaller portion of the population, gay men are disproportionately likely to molest children. Most psychologists do not share these same views. The consensus is that pedophilia is viewed as an orientation itself. Most abusers do not focus on a child’s gender; they focus on the ability to control the child. Many of these adults have trouble having adult relationships. It has also been shown that many abusers identify themselves as heterosexual and are usually involved in some kind of relationship with the child’s immediate family. Having been ostracized and reprimanded by their colleagues and peers, most of Dailey and Cameron’s research has been rejected.

Homosexuals have been fighting for the same rights as heterosexuals since the 1960’s. Many things have changed since the sexual revolution began. Many companies today recognize same-sex partners in terms of health insurance and benefits. Fifty years ago, homosexuality was not even spoken of, much less publicly recognized. The people of the United States and of the world are learning that gays and lesbians are the same as straight people. Polls are showing the ever-growing acceptance of gay and lesbian adoption. Even opponents of gay and lesbian adoption agree that children should be placed with homosexual parents rather than in no home at all. Much of the fear associated with homosexuals being given the right to adopt children is perpetuated by “scientists” like Cameron and Dailey. Their views are not widely accepted, and the thesis that they have derived is a stretch of any reasonable person’s imagination. Studies have shown that children that have been raised in gay and lesbian households fare the same as children raised in straight household. Some might argue that children in gay homes are more compassionate and caring than other children. Many highly trained and intelligent professionals agree that children can and should be raised by gays and lesbians. How much more support is necessary to lift this unreasonable ban? Federal legislation is needed now. Children should not be shipped between foster homes and abandoned when they are no longer wanted. There are plenty of gay and lesbian parents who want to give children a loving home. These children should not be forced to suffer because of social prejudice.

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