Gay Adoption

[flareunitgx]

I was doing my Theory of knowledge project and came across this question:

"Should gay couples be allowed to adopt?"

I was just wondering what everyone's stance is on this :)

[Stevejavson]

I personally don't think so (yet). More stigma needs to be cleared or the children will likely be subjected to bullying problems.

[SoylentGreen]

Quote by: Stevejavson I personally don't think so (yet). More stigma needs to be cleared or the children will likely be subjected to bullying problems.

if you want to stop bullying then tell the bully to stop. not justify his actions by telling the victims they should not be around for him to bully.

[Stevejavson]

Quote by: SoylentGreen if you want to stop bullying then tell the bully to stop. not justify his actions by telling the victims they should not be around for him to bully.

Good point. However, I see us more in the stage of "how do we get the bully to stop?". Until then, I see it best (for children anyway) to be conformist.

[SoylentGreen]

Quote by: Stevejavson Good point. However, I see us more in the stage of "how do we get the bully to stop?". Until then, I see it best (for children anyway) to be conformist.

in other words give in to the bully?
you might as well put forward the argument that it should be illegal for women to leave their house at night because they might get raped.
deal with the criminal, the bully, not make the victim feel guilty.

you cannot stop a bully until he starts, and a bully will always find something to be offended by and someone to offend.

[grandpa]

Quote by: SoylentGreen in other words give in to the bully? you might as well put forward the argument that it should be illegal for women to leave their house at night because they might get raped.

Bullies have a goal of self-perfection. They feel they are either great, or on the path to greatness, and they cannot stand anyone unique who complicates their self-image. Their image usually has no merit, as it tends to have more to do with fear than actual respect, but they'll take fear over a damaged sense of self-worth any day. We don't actually need their approval. They have to bully us into feeling it is necessary. The fact that "popularity" often comes with a serious risk assessment shows just how phony it can be.

Grandpa h.

[Stevejavson]

Quote by: SoylentGreen in other words give in to the bully? you might as well put forward the argument that it should be illegal for women to leave their house at night because they might get raped. deal with the criminal, the bully, not make the victim feel guilty. you cannot stop a bully until he starts, and a bully will always find something to be offended by and someone to offend.

No, find a proper way to deal with the bully. Just as you throw a rapist in jail, you must also find ways to prevent rape in the first place. I feel we need to do more research on how bullies function to find better ways of dealing with them.

[SoylentGreen]

the proper way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them and expose their activities. it is also sensible not to make a child feel ashamed for something that they have no control over and really no need to feel ashamed for.
there is a heap of research done on bullying just google Dealing with bullies.
here is a specific one
Resources for Parents Dealing with Anti-Gay Bullying | Family Fairness

[DoctorBarber]

Why does one child need 2 male or 2 female parents?

As we can see, the requirements to reproduce is a male and a female. So why defy nature and eliminate one? Why would a male and a female be required to produce offspring if we were really intended to be gay?

[SoylentGreen]

Quote by: DoctorBarber Why does one child need 2 male or 2 female parents? As we can see, the requirements to reproduce is a male and a female. So why defy nature and eliminate one? Why would a male and a female be required to produce offspring if we were really intended to be gay?

actually it's not a case of just producing the kid, your expected to stick around for 18 odd years and watch the damn thing grow up.
although the requirement for producing is a man and woman, the reqirement for raising them is love and a lot of time. anyone can do that.

[Jack]

I agree. "Adoption" is about raising kids, not producing them. As we see all around us, any two humans of the opposite sex can produce a child. The requirements for child production are far less than they are for raising children. Orphanages themselves are testament to that.

[Angry Citizen]

Quote by: DoctorBarber Why does one child need 2 male or 2 female parents? As we can see, the requirements to reproduce is a male and a female. So why defy nature and eliminate one? Why would a male and a female be required to produce offspring if we were really intended to be gay?

Since when have you ever cared about nature? Certainly you have no respect for science...

I'm honestly unsure about this situation. Heterosexual children of such couples may find puberty even more confusing than homosexual children of heterosexual couples. I can't think of a solid reason to deny homosexuals the ability to raise a child, however, so until research comes along showing that homosexuals are unfit to raise children, I suppose I would support it.

[Tycoon]

Quote by: Angry Citizen Since when have you ever cared about nature? Certainly you have no respect for science... I'm honestly unsure about this situation. Heterosexual children of such couples may find puberty even more confusing than homosexual children of heterosexual couples. I can't think of a solid reason to deny homosexuals the ability to raise a child, however, so until research comes along showing that homosexuals are unfit to raise children, I suppose I would support it.

I very much doubt that the underlined sentence is true.

[flareunitgx]

Quote by: Jack I agree. "Adoption" is about raising kids, not producing them. As we see all around us, any two humans of the opposite sex can produce a child. The requirements for child production are far less than they are for raising children. Orphanages themselves are testament to that.

Yes, but have you considered the unique environment the child would be growing up in? If we go back to the bullying, its really not about controling the bully. As humans, it is natural for us to judge and since homosexuality is minority, its reasonable that they would be thought of as different. For a child that can not make decisions for him/herself, don't you think it is better for the government to keep them open of choices before letting them grow up in a different environment?

[Jack]

...don't you think it is better for the government to keep them open of choices before letting them grow up in a different environment?

How does restricting who can adopt "keep them open of choices"?

[flareunitgx]

Quote by: Jack How does restricting who can adopt "keep them open of choices"?

Well, when they come of age, they themselves can decide whether or not they are ok with homosexual parents.

[grandpa]

Quote by: flareunitgx Well, when they come of age, they themselves can decide whether or not they are ok with homosexual parents.

What a ridiculous argument! There are adoptive gay parents in existence, and sometimes their kids seem to enjoy it and make progress accordingly. The American Psychological Association has "supported adoption by same-sex couples, citing social prejudice as harming the psychological health of lesbians and gays while noting there is no evidence that their parenting causes harm."

Of interest:

There are already thousands of children living in gay couple households. The 2000 U. S. Census reports 33% of female same-sex couple households and 22% of male same-sex couple households already have at least one child under the age of 18 living at home. According to the American Psychological Association Policy Statement on Sexual Orientation, Parents, & Children, "there is no reliable evidence that homosexual orientation per se impairs psychological functioning. Second, beliefs that lesbian and gay adults are not fit parents have no empirical foundation." The American Psychological Association also states "Research suggests that sexual identities (including gender identity, gender-role behavior, and sexual orientation) develop in much the same ways among children of lesbian mothers as they do among children of heterosexual parents" There is no conclusive evidence that homosexuality is linked to one's environment. In other words, growing up in a gay couple household will not "make" a child gay. Read Nature vs. Nurture: Born or Made Gay According to The Sydney Morning Herald, only 50,000 of the 120,000 children available for adoption in recent years have found homes yet groups against gay adoption seek to reduce the number of available homes based on false perception and unfounded evidence about gay parents.... By banning gay adoption, children in gay couple households have no legal status should something happen to the parents, including death or serious illness. Neither the parent or child has visitation rights if the parents separate. The child cannot claim inheritances or other household assets in case of death. If one parent dies, the second parent has no legal right to take custody or care for the child. A parent without legal right to a child cannot legally register him/her for school. Parents cannot put children on some health insurance plans. Parents cannot make medical decisions for the child. The child has no claim to the social security or other insurance benefits of the parent. Gay couple parents without adoption rights do not benefit from the generous tax deductions granted to heterosexual parents. Gay Adoption- What They Aren't Telling You About Gay Adoption

But scientific studies and objective evidence don't tend to penetrate the minds of committed bigots.

Grandpa h.

[flareunitgx]

Quote by: grandpa What a ridiculous argument! There are adoptive gay parents in existence, and sometimes their kids seem to enjoy it and make progress accordingly. The American Psychological Association has "supported adoption by same-sex couples, citing social prejudice as harming the psychological health of lesbians and gays while noting there is no evidence that their parenting causes harm." Of interest: But scientific studies and objective evidence don't tend to penetrate the minds of committed bigots. Grandpa h.

There may not be an effect within the family but I also talking about the social disadvantages for the kid. Just like may generalization jokes about gays. The kids WILL be exposed to this and no doubt they will have friends that use the word 'gay' in a negative connotation. How would a 5 year old kid feel when people start calling him or his family 'queer' or what not. Especially in public schools where kids get bullied for acting 'gay' or doing something 'queer'.

[SoylentGreen]

Quote by: flareunitgx There may not be an effect within the family but I also talking about the social disadvantages for the kid. Just like may generalization jokes about gays. The kids WILL be exposed to this and no doubt they will have friends that use the word 'gay' in a negative connotation. How would a 5 year old kid feel when people start calling him or his family 'queer' or what not. Especially in public schools where kids get bullied for acting 'gay' or doing something 'queer'.

so your answer is give in to the mob mentality? it does not matter to you that you might be right it's more important to be seen to conform.
perhaps pride is a word you should look up in the dictionary.

your suggestion that we cower in fear of the bully is ridiculous. i imagine it is because you actually do think that having gay parents is something to be ashamed of, which is why your argument is worthless.

you get rid of bullying by getting rid of bullies. not by making a child feel even more ashamed by suggesting that they should never had had gay parents in the first place.

at this stage i can only think that your pursuit of giving in to bullies is because you have no real interest in the welfare of children who are being bullied, otherwise you would not be considering giving into bullies. your agenda here is obviously to be anti gay.

[Questatement]

Quote by: flareunitgx I was doing my Theory of knowledge project and came across this question: "Should gay couples be allowed to adopt?" I was just wondering what everyone's stance is on this :)

I am willing to defend this paper.

Review Of Research On Homosexual Parenting, Adoption, And Foster Parenting

There are at least three reasons that the Arkansas regulation prohibiting homosexually behaving adults from being licensed as foster parents has a rational basis: 1. The inherent nature and structure of households with a homosexually-behaving adult uniquely endangers foster children by exposing them to a substantial level of harmful stresses that are over and above usual stress levels in heterosexual foster homes. 2. Homosexual partner relationships are significantly and substantially less stable and more short-lived on the average compared to a marriage of a man and a woman, thereby inevitably contributing to a substantially higher rate of household transitions in foster homes with a homosexually-behaving adult. 3. The inherent structure of foster-parent households with one or more homosexually-behaving members deprives foster children of vitally needed positive contributions to child adjustment that are only present in licensed heterosexual foster homes.