While euphoric over Barack Obama's huge victory and new presidency, many gays worry that California's recent decision to ban gay marriage will force his administration to cleave to the current federal government hands-off approach to anything to do with homosexuals. The troubled economy doesn't help because all efforts are being channeled to fix it and there's no stomach for dealing with social issues. During the campaign, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden opted energetically for gay rights although Obama soft pedaled the issue. Now he says he will deal with the gay adoption issue on a case by case basis.
However, law makers and backroom politicos in 16 states debate making it legal; Florida an anti gay adoption holdout, recently ruled a homosexual foster parent could adopt the child he's looked after for 9 years.
Homosexual men and women are winning legal battles worldwide as they adopt children who experts confirm are unharmed by a gay upbringing. In many cities, agencies hold regular classes and get-togethers for would be gay parents.
Australia's Capital Territory (ACT), South Africa, Israel, the European Union and most of Canada allow same-sex couples to adopt; in New Zealand they can do it singly but not as couples.
Single homosexuals can petition to adopt in 44 states and couples in 35. To date, 22 have allowed it. Florida, a holdout, now allows gay adoption. Celebrity Rosie O’Donnell, a lesbian with three children, pleaded on Prime Time Live and Fox News for laws to be changed.
Gay writer Dan Savage said in a July 5 2008 Gay Parent interview that now he and his partner have a baby, "I'm terrified I'm going to turn into Erna Bombeck."
Agencies Support Adoptions
Gloria Hochman of the US National Adoption Center, maintains adoption by gay men and women is increasing. Indeed, Rutgers University, in its March 2008 Adoption Quarterly, reports 63 percent of US public and private agencies support gay adoption of children. Andrea Schneider of California's "Adopt a Special Kid" actively seeks same sex families because of their supportive friends. According to some estimates, between eight and 16 million children are being raised in US same-sex homes.
In the November 1995 New York Court of Appeals case, In re Jacob, a lesbian had a child by artificial insemination from an unknown donor. Her partner of 19 years, wanted to adopt it although a heterosexual couple opposed them. The court ruled for the lesbian couple.
It's more usual for a lesbian to adopt her partner's children.
Surrogacy, Local, Disadvantaged And Overseas Children
Gay men and women often look overseas, although many, like Dr. Who TV actor John Barrowman, prefer to search at home. Californians Michael Morse and Bill Dunn adopted children with severe medical problems. Others like South Carolina's Tommy Starling and Jeff Littlefield, look to surrogacy. After joining a Los Angeles-based Growing Generations program they now have a two-year-old daughter, according to Proudparenting.com.
Gay-Raised Children Exhibit Impressive Psychological Strength
Writes Jeanne Howard in Expanding Resources for Children published in March 2006 by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, "social science research concludes that children reared by gay and lesbian parents fare comparably to those of children raised by heterosexuals on a range of measures of social and psychological adjustment."
In the April 2001The American Sociological Review, researchers Judith Stacey and Timothy Bilblarz wrote children raised in same-sex households show a higher level of affection, responsiveness and concern for those younger than them and "seem to exhibit impressive psychological strength".
However, Peter Sprigg of Washington's conservative Family Research Council thinks "homosexuality is a gender-identity disorder" and worries children in single-sex families will grow up like their parents.
Agencies Consider Child's Best Interests
As laws change and more homosexuals adopt either their partners' children, or through surrogacy and overseas agencies, many more opt for those kids mainstream parents don't want. Sociologists and adoption agencies working "in the child's best interest" find they provide good homes but conservatives maintain their opposition.
Ann Berkeley - Over some years, I covered major news events - the capture of James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King's murderer, the hippie phenomenon, the ...
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