I am currently taking a course at UNF titled "The Gendered Society" and this week the discussion is whether members of the LBGT community should be allowed to adopt. We have read several case studies revealing that there are no negative affects on children that have same sex parents. Florida is not among the states that allow same-sex parent adoptions and we are the only state that does not allow single-parents of the LGBT community to adopt.
Now this is not to discuss LGBT marriage or whether or not it should be legalized. Adoption is not restricted to married couples. Single, heterosexual individuals adopt and heterosexual, non-married couples are allowed to adopt. My question being if a person meets all other criteria to be allowed to adopt a child and they are deemed responsible, loving, supportive and financially fit to raise a child why should it matter if they are homosexual?
According to, Source: AFCARS data, U.S. Children's Bureau, Administration for Children, Youth and Families
there were 662,000 children circulated through the foster care program in 2010 there were 408,000 children in foster care system (that is not including the number of children that their parents terminated their legal rights). At the end of 2010 only 53,000 children had been adopted, 107,000 children were waiting to be fully processed through adoption agencies, and at the end of the year a startling 254,000 of the 408,000 entered the next year still in the foster care system.
Now, I have no idea the number of couples attempting to adopt but even if it only ranges in the 1,000's shouldn't the LGBT community be allowed to adopt these children solely on the basis that no child should have to spend one day in foster care if a person is willing and capable to offer that child a home despite the fact the are gay or lesbian?
Seems a bit ridiculous to me it is even a question.
***this is not a discussion about the morality of LGBT members or about religion or about their marriage rights. I am looking for answers solely about the adoption system and why Florida remains the only state not allowing single parents to adopt.
Quote from: AshleyLauren on July 09, 2012, 04:34:48 PMMy question being if a person meets all other criteria to be allowed to adopt a child and they are deemed responsible, loving, supportive and financially fit to raise a child why should it matter if they are homosexual?
It shouldn't.
Interested to hear what most of the class comments were though.
Yes, gays absolutely should be able to adopt. It shouldn't even be a question. It is embarrassing that some in our state would still rather have children sit in foster care than be adopted into a loving and stable home.
It is a shame
Oh, and FWIW, Florida no longer bans adoption by gay individuals. It's allowed them since 2010 following a state Supreme Court decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/us/23adopt.html?ref=adoptions
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/despite-romney-claim-same-sex-adoption-laws-vary/
However, we (and many other states) don't allow joint adoption between unmarried partners. I had to look it up myself. Additionally, there are a number of other states that don't allow joint adoptions, either because the laws are unclear, or because it's specifically outlawed. Some, such as Arkansas and Utah, even outlaw adoptions by individuals if they are "cohabiting" outside a legal marriage.
You might want to point this out to your teacher.
And from what I have been told it is even difficult for heterosexual married couples in the United States to adopt [American children/babies]. It's a lengthy, expensive extremely scrutinizing process. I have heard horror stories. I think for most people it is just easier to adopt from overseas (and I'm not sure if there is anything preventing gay couples from adopting overseas unless the other country's laws prohibit it).
It's easier, less time consuming, and less expensive for most to bring a baby from a 3rd world country into the US than to even attempt to adopt from the foster care system or from the biological mother. I don't judge celebrities for adopting babies from overseas because I know that at least a couple have been denied from adopting from here in the US!
^^^It's amazing that in that article the expert witness called upon by the state who provided testimony to keep the ban and was paid $120K to do so then went on an excursion to Europe with a gay escort. Everyone on the side of discrimination against gays ends up having a gay scandal shortly afterward!
Yes, they should. They can love and nurture a child just as good as heterosexuals. Hell, a child with gay parents might feel they can confide in their parents more than a child of a traditional couple.
Quote from: Tacachale on July 09, 2012, 05:27:31 PM
Oh, and FWIW, Florida no longer bans adoption by gay individuals. It's allowed them since 2010 following a state Supreme Court decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/us/23adopt.html?ref=adoptions
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/despite-romney-claim-same-sex-adoption-laws-vary/
However, we (and many other states) don't allow joint adoption between unmarried partners. I had to look it up myself. Additionally, there are a number of other states that don't allow joint adoptions, either because the laws are unclear, or because it's specifically outlawed. Some, such as Arkansas and Utah, even outlaw adoptions by individuals if they are "cohabiting" outside a legal marriage.
You might want to point this out to your teacher.
Oh my, it's an online class she has been teaching for years. SO hopefully, she just never updated the lecture otherwise there is proof that even your professors are not reliable sources!! I should have looked those up like I did the numbers. Thanks for the info!!!
Simms3, the entire system is ridiculous. Any idiot can have a child and do a horrible job at it, but people that actually WANT/WOULD KILL to have a child are given the run around for years and years until they finally have to pay even more money to have a child.
SO, the big question. What can be done about it??
Some of us have been fighting for years against this republican lead christian conserative state and their ideas on family and what they deem moral....now we've kinda aged out of parenthood...who wants to go to highschool graduation at 80,Lil. So i replaced them with animals and other stuff i guess..(who wants to adopt a rooster?)...it sucks that a state so reviered around the world is so fucking backwards....I'm glad that gays can adopt and i think you guys are going to make great kids...Those against gays adopting...don't forget..many of your parents were gay and you never knew...it's as old as time itself
Sad that this discussion even needs to take place in 2012.
Of course they should.