Gay couples are married people of the same sex. There are some factors which when considered at an instant, then it may lead one to feel that even gay couples should be allowed to adopt. Some of these issues as brought out in the book article are: there are some states which do allow gay marriages, the foster homes are overpopulated and few qualified couples are coming forward, and that in adoption only the welfare of the child should be considered and not the sexual orientation of the adopters. There are some pertinent issues that would affect the welfare of the child in a family of gay couples.
To protect the institution of marriage, gay couples should not be allowed to adopt children. Many religious institutions view marriage as the union between man and woman. Gay relationships, therefore, do not constitute family, and members in this relationship cannot naturally give birth to children. Giving birth to children is one of the major functions of marriage as a result gay couples should not be allowed to adopt children. Children need a mother and a father figure which gay people cannot provide. (Timothy, 2006).
According to Coon v Joseph (pg 88, 1987) some courts have refused to recognize same-sex couples as being closely related in cases of emotional suffering. This goes ahead to illustrate that in cases of crisis between gay couples, adopted children will be disadvantaged since they may end up without family in case the gay couple goes their separate way.
Some religious groups like the Catholics have opposed the legal recognition of gay people. This opposition is based both on ethical and moral grounds. The Vatican argues that adoption by gay people is immoral as it contravenes the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. Lack of either maternal or paternal presence creates obstacles in the upbringing and normal development of the child.
Gay couples should not be allowed to adopt since there are some states which do not recognize same-sex marriage. For instance, Florida, Mississippi, and Utah have passed legal legislation that rules out adoption by gay couples. Other states partially allow for adoption by a same-sex couple in certain jurisdictions. Discrimination against same-sex couples in these states further points out gay couples are not suitable for adopting children.
In some cases, children adopted by same-sex parents may be subjected to sexual violence. For instance, a girl adopted by a homosexual couple can easily be defined by either one of the adoptees this may also apply in a lesbian relationship. In addition, they may be defiled since they are not under the care of their biological parents. This possibility puts the adopted children at risk in the hands of same-sex couples. (Lynn, 1997).
Some of the same-sex couples are not honest about their sexual orientation hence they may decide to live a lie by allowing one of them to adopt alone with the motive of hiding the truth from the child. This is an infringement on the right of the child to know who either his fathers or mothers are. (Angela and Alysse, 2001).
Research has shown that children adopted by gays and lesbians are made fun of and harassed by others. These children are exposed to negative experiences because of the sexual orientation of the adoptee couple. They, therefore, shy away from public places making it difficult for them to relate to people. (Lynn, 1997) These negative experiences deny the child the right of free association with others and hinder the psychological development of the child; this is reason enough to deny same-sex couples the right to adopt children.
Children raised by a gay couple are often confused about their sexual personality and will not be able to master and understand the traditional values..(Maggie,2006) The child shuns away from social practices since his parents are gay and tends to have a distorted view of the minority sexuality hence the child may end up gay himself. Research has concluded that there are more incidences of domestic violence in same-sex marriages as compared to heterosexual marriages. This affects the character development of the child. The child may have low self-esteem and has a likelihood of being Para suicidal.
Many religions view homosexuality as a social vice, children from same-sex parentage will therefore not socialize freely. (Maggie,2006) They will be discriminated against by people who consider themselves straight. The children will not be free to visit places of worship like churches and mosques. This denies the child the opportunity to socialize freely and one of the ways of socializing is through worship.
References
Angela Xenakis and Alysse M. ElHage. Should Homosexuals Adopt? Why Adoption Is Not a Homosexual “Rights” Issue. North Carolina Family Council. 2008.
Jasbir K. Puar.2007.Terrorist Assemblages. Duke University Press.
Lynn D. Wardle. The Potential Impact of Homosexual Parenting on Children.1997. Web.
Maggie Jackson. The Boston Globe Same-sex couples face unique adoption hurdles. 2008. Web.
Timothy Patrick Jackson. 2005. The Morality of Adoption. Social-psychological, Theological and Legal Perspectives. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.