Same-Sex Saviors

Haley Gee Comparison/Contrast Research Paper Dual Enrollment 3B Ms. Erskine 12-18-2013

Change is the way our society accepts, adapts and grows to new and upcoming additions to the way we live. One significant change in our society today is gay adoption. Gay couples long to have children but cannot biologically do so together. Choosing to adopt children from foster care benefits both parties by giving the child a loving and stable environment and giving couples the dream of having kids. "Making children who have already endured abuse or neglect and the trauma of being removed from their homes wait any longer than necessary is cruel and unconscionable" (Nan). Opponents argue that gay couples cannot provide what a traditional couple would be able to and many states outlaw gay adoption. Children adopted by gay couples will not only suppress the amount of children in foster homes, but also provide them with similarly enriched home lives that heterosexual couples would.

Gay adoption is the legal adoption or caregiving of children by people who identify as gay. A Pew Research Center survey conducted found for the first time that the majority of people-52%-were in favor of allowing gay men and lesbians to adopt children. For some couples it is another sign of acceptance from the American mainstream society. Although now that they are getting acceptance, they are feeling the pressure to follow in the footsteps of other gay couples and adopt. Most countries do not allow it but many states are reconsidering with the passing of new laws. Adoption laws for same sex couples in the U.S. vary with some opposing and some agreeing. In Florida, it doesn't matter how open your heart is, or how willing and capable of being a loving parent you are, if you're gay" (Nan). Most states allow

gays to petition for adoption individually without identifying their orientation. Advocates of gay adoption argue same-sex adoption is needed because there are many children waiting to be adopted that are turned away by conventional couples, while same-sex couples are willing to go accept the child no matter their circumstances. Gays are able to provide same-sex couples with stable homes and families just as much as traditional couples could.

Adoption rates are on the rise and continue to soar with the amount of children still waiting to be given homes. In the U.S. 400,540 children are living without permanent families. Of those children 115,000 are eligible for adoption. Along with that statistic thousands more from other countries need homes as well. Gay couples have longed to become parents but by the setbacks of anatomy cannot have children together. Adoption has been one option that more and more couples have taken upon to fulfill their dream. The rate of gay couples adopting has risen from 10% in 2000 to 19% in 2009. With the rise of gay couples adopting and society changing, the number of children waiting for a loving home will decrease.

Opponents argue that putting a child in a home without a traditional couple household is doing them a disservice of a normal home life. One would say that the children would feel obligated to identify as gay just because their parents do so and they dont know any other way. These kids having homosexual parents will put them in different light with their peers and they may never experience normality with they way they are treated. Not being able to give children the ability to find

their identity on their own is detrimental to their growth and mental stability. Having a mother and a father gives children a better infrastructure to their lives and being raised by both parents is naturally helpful to the child. Even children who grow up with one parent of a heterosexual couple can be exposed to issues down the road. Although this may not be the case with every adopted child, it is one society cannot ignore.

Gay couples provide each and every value and lesson that traditional couples do. They give loving homes, teach children right from wrong and expose them to a new spectrum of the world that many kids do not experience. With having gay parents, the child is likely to be shown the worse side of this miracle that adoption gives the children. Gay adoption isnt the norm, so societys reflex is to taunt or feel threatened by it. They will be subjected to jokes and always being in the judgmental spotlight of life. However, showing children this side of society and how to deal with the pressures of being different could benefit them in the long run. To be proud of what you represent to society and to not allow anyone to make you feel as if you are not acceptable is a huge asset to their confidence.

"The definition of family is unquestionably evolving" (Swarns). Our country is all about change and this change is one that can save lives and provide love to deserving children. There is no credible academic reasoning or study that says same-sex couples should be excluded from adopting and/or do not provide supplemental homes and love. Children adopted by gay couples will not only

suppress the amount of children in foster homes, but also provide them with similarly enriched home lives that heterosexual couples would. With over 27,000 kids aging out of foster care a year, the need for children to have loving homes is extremely important. If society can finally look on the better side of the situation, and the benefits to both parties, then we could have a better outlook for many foster children and fulfill the dream for gay couples to have children. Gay couples can provide the standards and structure to their child with a loving family; gay couples should be able to adopt children.