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Marie Montoya
Gardner
English 10 2 period
8 May 2014
Gay Adoption: Protection for the Child or Ineqality for E!eryone In!ol!ed"
#o yo agree $ith the state%ent that A&& different types of fa%ilies are 'eneficial $hen
%illions of children are $aiting to 'e adopted" Adoption 'y gay and les'ian coples 'eca%e a
contro!ersial topic after the %o!e%ent to$ards allo$ing sa%e se( %arriage) *hese coples $ant
the a'ility to 'e a'le to adopt foster children 't also each other+s children that are fro% a
pre!ios %arriage) ,tates sch as -lorida. thogh. are co%pletely against the idea of allo$ing
these coples to pro!ide a child $ith a lo!ing fa%ily) *his topic is greatly discssed 'ecase
so%e arge that these /ids need a 0traditional1 fa%ily to 'e trly happy and nor%al. 't a report
'y the AAP. the A%erican Acade%y of Pediatrics. stated that. 0gro$ing p $ith parents $ho are
les'ian or gay %ay confer so%e ad!antages to children1 2Ca%eron. Perri3 $hich %a/es people
sch as #aniel Gri. $ho adopted his children in California. thin/ that the arg%ent of needing a
0traditional1 fa%ily %ight 'e a 0))) techniqe anti gay organi4ations se1 25%ar3 to appeal for
the p'lic+s spport and %aniplate into their point of !ie$) Althogh people. and e!en states.
are against per%itting gay or les'ian coples to adopt6 adoption 'y these fa%ilies ha!e not only
ha!e the spport 'y scientist and their research $hich states that so%e children 'enefit fro%
sa%e se( cople adoptions. 't they also ha!e so%e states on their side $hich
$ant to end ineqality)
Initially. people arge that adoption 'y sa%e se( coples shold 'e illegal 'ecase it $ill
'ring %ore co%plications than soltions as ti%e progresses) *he athors of 07: #oes Adoption
'y Gay or &es'ian Coples Pt A%erican Children)))1 state that in the stdies 'y the AAP. 0a
n%'er of clinical reports detail 8acting ot 'eha!ior.+ ho%ose(al sedction. electi!e %teness
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and the desire for a %other 'y children $ith sa%e se( parents)1 *hey also add their o'ser!ations
that they ha!e ne!er seen 0a single child 'eing distr'ed 'ecase his %other and father $ere
%arried12 Ca%eron. Perri3) *he p'lic+s $orries also inclde the statistics of the lifespan for
ho%ose(al $hich %ention that 0)))the %edian age of death for les'ians $as in the 40s to 90s6 for
ho%ose(als it $as in the 40s) Most A%ericans li!e into their :0s1 2Ca%eron. Perry3) *hese
ner!e rac/ing statistics are crcial 'ecase early death of the parent $ill %ean an increase in the
child+s distress for sta'ility again) ;ther statistics sch as this one.0 adoption agencies $ill
seldo% per%it a cople in their late 40s or 90s adopt a child 'ecase of the ris/ of parental death.
and the conseqent social and psychological difficlty for the child1 2Ca%eron. Perri3 e(plain the
decision of adoptions agencies of $hy sa%e se( coples are high ris/ fa%ilies and is $hy they
prefer heterose(al coples) *o s%%ari4e. the p'lic arges that /ids $ith sa%e se( parents are
e!entally going to 'eco%e %entally affected 'y the a'sence of a real %other or father figre
and also $orry a'ot $hat the child+s ftre $ill 'e after an ne(pected and early death
fro% their parents) Indeed. %any $orry a'ot the child+s ftre) <o$e!er. they are a!oiding the
cry fro% children that $old li/e any /ind of fa%ily and are searching for lo!e)
Ad%ittedly. there %ight 'e a fe$ cases $here the /ids $old li/e to ha!e 0traditional1
father and %other figre present 't %illions of others $old =st li/e to 'e adopted 'y a fa%ily
that $ill pro!ide the% $ith shelter. food. and lo!e) >e!ertheless. close %inded indi!idals and
state la$s. $hich are sppose to protect children. are depri!ing %illions of foster children of a
nrtring fa%ily and also de%onstrate the ineqality 'et$een the cltral grops of
heterese(als and ho%ose(als) -or instance. a state ,enate ,ponsor in -lorida. ?e'in As/e$.
$as of his the re=ection for ho%ose(als $hen he stated that they shold. 0 8get 'ac/ in the
closet+ 1 20@an Political13) *hese are role %odels that lead a state and shold 'e tolera'le of all of
its citi4ens 't it is o'!ios that this is not the case) &i/e$ise. state la$ in Airginia 0does not
allo$ n%arried coplesho%ose(al or heterose(alto adopt) @t it is possi'le for single people.
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inclding gays. to adopt 0 25%ar3 $hich is e(clding children to ha!e legally only half a fa%ily
in the eyes of the state and allo$ing confsion to %o!e into the %ind of the child. 't the
lti%ate sho$ of ineqality $as sho$n 'y -lorida ,tate ,enator. Crtis Peterson. $hen he
e(pressed that the only prpose of creating the la$ for 'anning gay adoptions in -lorida $as to
e(press the idea:0 8 CeDre really tired of yo) Ce $ish yoDd go 'ac/ into the closet+ E2@is/pic3
'ecase it sho$s tre selfishness fro% the state leaders to$ards the happiness of the child
a$aiting for a fa%ily) @ased on the research. it is safe to say that states are ta/ing this
contro!ersial pro'le% too personally instead of as/ing the opinion of the ones $ho $ill 'e
affected: the children) *he ineqality for the t$o grops is not only seen 'y the $ay the
representati!es of the state spea/. 't also in the !ias la$s $hich are the otco%e of close
%inded indi!idals) *o illstrate. are the la$s really protecting the children" or are state
representati!es trying to get their o$n personal 'eliefs across at the e(pense of hopefl
children $ho are $aiting for sta'ility and lo!e"
Children that are adopted and potential sa%e se( coples that $ant to ha!e a child to lo!e
shold recei!e eqal rights and recognition as those $ho are adopted 'y heterose(al parents) In
%ost states. gays and les'ians are allo$ed to adopt as single parent 't not as a sa%e se( cople.
't $hen the A%erican Ci!il &i'erties Fnion filed a la$sit representing si( ho%ose(al
coples to fight this la$ in >orth Carolina 'ecase 0 8they $ant to ha!e the parental
responsi'ilities that go along $ith 'eing legally recogni4ed parents.+ 1 Chris @roo/. an attorney
$ith the AC&F of >orth Carolina. said of the plaintiffs. 0 8and these children need the protection
that goes along $ith ha!ing t$o legally recogni4ed parents+ 1 2Gar!is3) Chat these si( coples
$ere fighting for is only right) *hey $ant their children to ha!e the sa%e ad!antages and
protection that they are only a'le to pro!ide their children $ith if they are their legal gardians
sch as health care) ,i%ilarly. sa%e se( coples in Airginia ha!e the sa%e pro'le% 'ecase
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the la$ only allo$s one parent to 'e the legal parent in a ho%ose(al cople. e!en thogh. 0
a'ot 2.2:H sa%ese( coples are raising a'ot 4.998 children in Airginia. according to the
-a%ily Eqality Concil. a gay rights organi4ation1 25%ar3) ;n the other hand. -lorida. once
again. de%onstrates ho$ different the la$s are 'et$een ho%ose(al and hetereose(al coples
$ho $old li/e to adopt) It $as noted 'y Matthe$ Coles. one of the representati!es on the case
that 0althogh -lorida 'ans gay %en and les'ians fro% adopting. it does not specifically e(clde
n%arried people or certain applicants $ho %ight pose a serios threat to children. sch as
s'stance a'sers and people $ith a history of do%estic !iolence12@is/pic3) *his is otraging
for these sa%e se( coples 'ecase it see%s as if the state $old prefer for an indi!idal that has
history of do%estic !iolence and $ill 'e a threat to the children to adopt o!er the sa%e se(
coples $ho co%pletely qalify and ha!e no cri%inal history) Ellen C) Perrin. a professor of
de!elop %ental 'eha!ioral pediatrics at the -loating <ospital for Children of *fts >e$
England Medical Center in @oston. co%es to the conclsion that all the research done 'y the
AAP is 0there sho$ing s $hat children need: a lo!ing. sta'le fa%ily and assrance of
consistency and continity) Coparent adoption pro!ides legal. financial and e%otional secrity
and ths is in the 'est interests of children) *he AAP reco%%endations si%ply see/ to garantee
children of sa%ese( parents the sa%e rights and protections that other children ha!e1 2Ca%eron
and Perry3) Fnli/e so%e state representati!es. Perri in!estigates the official data done 'y the
AAP and co%es to an edcated decision $hich $ill actally 'enefit a poor child) ;'!iosly. it is
seen that the rles for sa%e se( parents is not the sa%e as for heterose(al parents $ho adopt) If
a 0typical1 cople is loo/ing to adopt. 'oth of the parents $old 'e the legal gardians. 't $ith
these different la$s6 only one of the parents in the ho%ose(al relationship $old 'e the legal
gardian) *his $ill create %any qestions for the ftre child and legal pro'le%s if their ;>E 0
legal gardian1 $as to die) *hese different la$s thin/ they are helping gay and les'ian coples.
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't in reality. they are confsing the child 'y sho$ing the diffsion in the syste% $hich treats
their fa%ily as if they $ere a ne$ cltre and had different rles6 $hich does not help the
child feel part of a co%%nity)
Flti%ately. or $orld is fll of people that spport this %o!e%ent 'ecase they thin/
a'ot $hat $ill 'e the %ost 'eneficial for the children and not =st the%sel!es) *he appro!al
fro% an open %inded co%%nity can 'e seen in a 2004 case in -lorida $here Martin Gills
$anted to adopt t$o 'oys in desperate need of a ho%e. 't $as not allo$ed 'ecase of his se(al
orientation) <o$e!er. *he Mia%i #ade Conty Circit Cort Gdge. Cindy &eder%an.%entioned
in the rling of allo$ing Mr) Gills to adopt the 'oys that 0 8there are no differences in the
parenting of ho%ose(als or the ad=st%ent of their children+ 120@an Political13) Also. in the
%lti cltral state of California 040.000 children))) ha!e sa%e se( parents1 20@an Political13
$hich e(poses an open %inded !ie$ fro% the p'lic $hich is co%pletely different fro% the
!ie$s in -lorida) &i/e$ise. the !ie$s fro% the p'lic in Airginia see% to agree $ith the ones in
California as it can 'e seen in a poll 'y the Cashington Post $hich re!ealed that 0-iftyfi!e
percent of Airginians say that gay coples shold 'e a'le to legally adopt children125%ar3)
Flti%ately. the scientific research pro!es that 0)))children $ho gro$ p $ith one or t$o gay
andIor les'ian parents fare as $ell in e%otional. cogniti!e. social and se(al fnctioning as do
children $hose parents are heterose(al) ChildrenDs opti%al de!elop%ent appears to 'e
inflenced %ore 'y the natre of the relationships and interactions $ithin the fa%ily nit than 'y
the particlar strctral for% it ta/es1 2Ca%eron. Perri3 lo!e is stronger that any se(al
orientation and that it is the !ales of each fa%ily the ones $ho 'ild a person+s character. not
$ho their parents are attracted to) All the research gathered throghot the years sho$ that there
is no difference 'et$een a 0typical1 heterose(al and a ho%ose(al fa%ilies. so $hy are there
neqal la$s" E!en the p'lic agrees that the gay and les'ian coples shold 'e a'le to adopt
$ithot 'eing restrained 'y these la$s) It is not a'ot the type of fa%ily
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that the children are chosen to 'e a part of. it is a'ot ho$ those fa%ilies carry the%sel!es)
,cientific data and %lticltral states ha!e sho$n seen ad!antages to gay adoption
$hich is lti%ately to pro!ide a lo!ing fa%ily to a the a$aiting childs6 ho$e!er state la$s and
the %inds of indi!idals still need to 'e confronted in order for a 'etter to%orro$) Gay adoption
has the potential to %a/e %illions of children+s life 'etter across the nation. 't the contrasting
la$s and treat%ent do not only sho$ the ineqality 'et$een the t$o grops6 't it also
de%onstrates $ho the !arios states really care a'ot) Cith this di!ision 'et$een grops. $e are
going 'ac/ in ti%e to $hen 'lac/s and $hites had neqal rights) Chat is happening right no$ is
no different 'ecase people and states are 'eing n=st and stealing a sa%e se( cople+s
happiness and rights as a h%an 'eing =st as the 'lac/s $ere sla!es to the $hites) Are yo going
to let history repeat itself dring yor generation"








Cor/s Cited
E@an Political E(ploitation of Children)E Pal% @each Post) B1 Mar) 201B: A)1H) ,I?, Isses
?esearcher) Ce') 08 May) 2014)

@is/pic. Goan) EGstices &ea!e -la) @an on Adoption 'y Gays Intact)E F,A *;#AK) Gan) 10
2009: n)p) ,I?, Isses ?esearcher) Ce') 08 May) 2014)
Montoya :

Ca%eron. Pal. and Ellen C) Perrin) E7: #oes Adoption 'y Gay or &es'ian Coples Pt
A%erican Children)))E Insight on the >e$s) 22 Apr) 2002: 404B) ,I?, Isses ?esearcher) Ce')08
May) 2014)

Gar!is. Craig) E,it: Allo$ ,a%e,e( Coples to Adopt in >)C)E >e$s L ;'ser!er) 1B Gn)
2012: n)p) ,I?, Isses ?esearcher) Ce') 08 May) 2014)

5%ar. Anita) EAdoption ;!erhal ,een As Anti Gay)E Cashington Post) 08 -e') 2012: @)1)
,I?, Isses ?esearcher) Ce') 08 May) 2014