Gay adoption rights

[IowaHawkeye]

So by now i'm sure most of you have heard that The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed homosexual adoption, saying gay couples can provide the loving, stable and emotionally healthy family life that children need. I thought they made some very relevent and important points:

Gay partners often are the primary caretakers, but without parental rights they have no legal say in matters as simple as granting doctors' permission to give a child a shot, said Dr. Barbara J. Howard, an assistant pediatrics professor at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center who helped draft the policy.

Also, children in gay households may lack health insurance if the family's only breadwinner is a gay parent without parental rights, Hagan said.

In addition, gay partners lacking parental rights may lose visitation or custody battles when a couple separates or one partner dies, depriving children they've helped raise of future contact, Howard said.

So... what does everyone think - and why?

[Optimist Prime]

I would rather children be raised by someone who loves them than by some one who doesn't. Remember that show my two dads?

[erniegurl00]

Hey I'm all for it! I say it's about time same sex partners are eligible to be parents! Hehe...I'll stop there because I'm a pretty liberal person, and I don't want to ramble on and on.

[Kevlar281]

Well I consider myself to be rather conservative when it comes to politics but considering the astronomical amount of children who need to be adopted I am all for it as long as the home they are placed in is a suitable environment.

[KillarneyRose]

I don't think it matters whether a couple is heterosexual or homosexual. If they can provide a safe, loving and secure environment in which to raise a child, they should be allowed to do so.

[DukeBlue]

I just have to say - it's about damn time.

[bucutie02]

Just yesterday my psychology teacher told us that in russia they would have these foster homes, and there would be so many babies and very few caretakers that they would basically just pick the babies up to change them and feed them. Other than that, they would lay in the cribs crying all day! There just werent enough people to comfort and cuddle with them! I find that very sad and the children grew up with psychological damage! They were not warm and friendly, they didnt know what love was, and just weren't people persons. This was a study conducted in Russia and because of ethical situations it was not done in the united states! I dont know how long ago this was done, but i was completely astonished because i felt bad for these children!

Needless to say, i dont think it matters if its a gay/lesbian couple that adopts a child, just knowing that they will be loved uncondiotionally is what matters! For the most part, i dont think they are better off in the foster homes knowing that there is a couple wanting to provide and safe and loving environment for a child.

[KarenC725]

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
I would rather children be raised by someone who loves them than by some one who doesn't. Remember that show my two dads?

I agree. There are so many kids that are abused/abandoned etc. that if there are two loving caretakers/parents, who cares what sex they are?