The Problems With Denying Same Sex Couples the Right to Adopt
Because same-sex couples cannot procreate as heterosexual couples can, many families seek to adopt children. Same-sex couple adoption has become a controversial topic amongst politicians, and some argue that it goes against religious doctrine. Not only do these politicians have no basis in their argument and seek to impose their own beliefs into the lives of couples seeking to raise a family, preventing same-sex couple adoption is unconstitutional and they are also taking away the People’s rights and civil liberties. The type of domestic relationship couple has should not determine the eligibility of parents seeking to adopt. Instead, the quality and opportunities the couple can offer must be the deciding factor in which couple is more suitable to adopt a child.
When same-sex couples adopt children, they provide a home for them. By providing shelter, they also provide food, a bed, and an opportunity to succeed in life, something the original family could not offer. Adoption should not be about the parents’ sexual orientation, but about the child’s safety and well-being. A large problem with the adoption services in the United States is that most agencies are religiously affiliated. The CEO and President of Bethany Christian Services, William Blacquiere, said, “At Bethany, we could never deny a family for their secular status, or single-parent, or anything of that nature. However, if the family would be in conflict with our religious beliefs, we would assist them to go another agency.” This is not the only adoption agency that responds like this. Many adoption agencies are linked with the Catholic Church, forcing same-sex couples to adopt children from different countries around the world. Almost 400,000 children are in the foster care system in American alone, and most only stay for a maximum of two years in one home. Most same-sex couples are ready to open their homes to children for a lifetime because they chose to become full-time parents.
Not allowing same-sex couples to adopt is unconstitutional and is considered discrimination based on sexual orientation. Most parents who complete the necessary background checks and evaluations are often denied adoption rights because of their type of relationship. The status of children in the foster care system is a governmental responsibility. When leaving the responsibility to private Catholic institution, it is a violation of the separation of church and state. Due to the discrimination same-sex couples are faced with, the opportunities they can offer a prospective child are going to waste. Instead of same-sex couples finding children in different countries, it would be better the United States to bring as many children as possible out of the foster care system.
Despite the common belief that children need both a mother and father figure, single parents raise children. Many of America’s heroes were raised with only one parent. American astronaut Neil Armstrong never knew his birth father, and Democratic president John F. Kennedy lost his father in a car accident, three months before he was born. The success rate of a child does not depend on the number of parents or the type of relationship, but the quality of the persons who raised him or her.
Same-sex couples are legitimate couples that are discriminated because of their lifestyle choice. Although some adoption agencies may hold religious viewpoints on certain daily issues, it is imperative to leave personal beliefs out of politics. Same-sex adoption continues to be a problem in the United States, but it is taking a slow transition into acceptance. All in all, discrimination based on the parents’ sexual orientation is unconstitutional and only hurts the future generation of the United States.
