Nov 21 2008
Relocated: Gay Adoption
Friday, January 11, 2008
Gay Adoptions
Yeah, another shocking post that may make you ask “Why is this guy a Republican?”
Here’s my view on gay adoption. This tends to upset both liberals and conservatives, so brace yourselves.
First of all, let’s get the liberals all riled up. I do think that having a mother and a father is the best situation for any child to grow up in. Done.
Now, for the part that tends to upset the conservatives. I still think gay couples, or even single gay parents, should be allowed to adopt. Here’s why.
There are thousands of children waiting for adoption or growing up in orphanages and foster homes, or as wards of the state. There are thousands more being raised by single parents. There are thousands more (and plenty of overlap with foster parents and single parents) being raised by parents that don’t want them. There are thousands more (again, a lot of overlap) who don’t know how to raise a child, and don’t have the resources (family, money for classes and books, friends, etc.) to learn about child development and a parents’ role. There are thousands more whose parents don’t have the financial resources to provide the standard of living that every child deserves. There are thousands more who, because of crime and problems with our public education system, will be less likely than their peers in other families to graduate from high school or college, or escape the welfare cycle. There are thousands more who grow up with divorced parents, and often confusing family trees with multiple step parents and step siblings. There are thousands more who witness domestic abuse (either physical or emotional) and will later have guilt issues, because their parents refuse to get a divorce “for the kids’ sake.” There are thousands more who will develop eating, anxiety, or other psychological disorders because their parents apply unreasonable pressure. There are thousands more who will be bullied or hazed in school, leading to long term psychological consequences.
In an ideal world, every child would have a mother and a father. The world is not ideal. Once the politicians have solved our countries economic, social, gender, racial, and other problems, and fought a rapidly rising divorce rate, and fixed the public education system and closed the achievement gap, maybe gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt.
And in fact, all politicians, Republican and Democratic, should fight to achieve a day when gay parents are not the best option for some children.
In the meantime though, if there are children waiting to be adopted, or in abusive or otherwise harmful situations, and there are same-sex couples who love each other and their children, let them adopt. A mom and a dad may be best, but for thousands (if not millions) of children, a mom and a mom or a dad and a dad who create a loving and nurturing home are infinitely better than what they have now. So quit worrying about who’s doing who, and start fixing the real problems in this country, the ones with real effects on the children here.
Posted by Zach at 12:20 AM 0 comments Links to this post 
Labels: gay adoption, politics
