Kids need good homes, period

Currently, there are tens of thousands of children in the world in need of adoption or foster care. According to ACCEPT, a company that coordinates adoptions, Americans adopted 20,099 children worldwide in 2002. However, red tape limits the people able to provide these children with homes. One group among those restricted or deterred from adoption are gays and lesbians.

“Florida is the only state in the nation with a complete ban on adoption by gays, whether single or as a couple,” according to a July 6 Sun-Sentinel article, though some other states place various restrictions on same-sex couples wishing to adopt.

In the past, one member of a gay or lesbian couple might have adopted as a single parent, while his partner maintained the status of “friend” or “roommate.” This is technically legal, it just omits a portion of the truth. It is illegal to directly lie to a specific question, though.

The most common option is second-parent adoption. This is when a same-sex parent can adopt her or his partner’s biological or adoptive child. This usually takes place in the context of a female couple in which one partner is the biological parent via IUI (artificial insemination), or for a male couple in which one partner already has adopted as a single parent, or has become the legal father of a child with a surrogate mother.

Second- parent adoption is not possible if one member of a couple has custody of a child from a previous heterosexual relationship or marriage, unless the other parent is willing to give up parental rights, according to the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a legal resource center that advocates for lesbians’ rights. Second-parent adoptions have been granted by the courts in 21 states as well as Washington, D.C. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

According to About.com, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., allow for openly gay and lesbian couples to adopt jointly.

Jack Levine, a longtime child advocate, told the Sun-Sentinel, “The reality is that we have no evidence to show, either scientific or sociological … that gay couples cannot be positive parents.” How can it be proved that a single parent is a positive or negative role model, or that a heterosexual couple is more positive than a homosexual one? Many suppositions can be made, along with inferences from various statistics, but overall there is no definite answer.

It is important for those who support equal rights to stand up against laws that promote discrimination. Children need families. A family, by my definition, is one that provides love, support, food, shelter and education. How is this affected by sexual orientation or single parenting?

I feel fortunate enough to live in a state that allows joint adoption and second-parent adoption. But the work isn’t done for those living in Florida and other states. Keep an eye out for where politicians stand on these issues. Make sure to vote when the time comes. Each step helps bring more families together.