Research Paper--Gay Adoption
(Note--this is a research paper I'm working on for my Civics class. I'm posting it here because I lost my jump drive, and it's viewable to everyone because I don't think my school allows us to log in to personal websites. If you want to read it, feel free, but please keep in mind that it is a first draft and is addressed to Florida governor Charlie Crist. The paragraphs are impossibly dense for livejournal because the real paper is double-spaced, and we're not supposed to have more than five paragraphs. All sources are cited properly and included at the end of the article, and taken from the SIRS database. The end.)
Every year, thousands of potential adopters are turned away by adoption agencies, some of them for legitimate reasons--because they lack the income, the resources, or the temperament to raise children. Others, however, are turned away for a different reason--because they are homosexual, and, under Florida law, “No person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is homosexual.” (Spencer-Wendel 3). This law, which was adopted in 1977, is unfair, unjust, and downright unconstitutional. Children need good homes, homes that they can thrive in, and gay or lesbian couples deserve the right to provide them with those homes. It is time for Florida to abolish this law and provide the children and parents with the rights that all citizens deserve.
As you are well aware, Florida is one of the leading states when it comes to adoption, with a record 3,700 adopted children in 2008 (Rich 1). The numbers are unbelievably high--and yet, they are not high enough. Due to federal regulations, foster children must be adopted within a year of entering foster care, but the average wait is more than two years in Florida. More than one thousand children have been waiting for over four years (Rich 1). More than one thousand have been forgotten by the state and left stranded in foster care, instead of being placed in loving homes. By not allowing gay parents to adopt, the state is abandoning the children. As an attorney in Broward said in a statement to the Palm Beach Post, “Florida’s children deserve good parents and if they happen to be gay, so what?” (Spencer-Wendel 3) So what? Are three year olds going to be prejudiced about someone who feeds them, tucks them in at night and kisses bumped elbows or scraped knees? Are older children going to refuse a happy couple and a gentle home just because of homophobic views inherited from their parents, who are unable or unwilling to support them anymore? It will not matter to the children who gives them a home, as long as they get a home, and therefore it should not matter to anyone else either. Their lives are the ones affected by these laws--those children, and the couples who adopt them. They are the ones who deserve the support of the law, not bigots who would refuse them homes based on unfounded accusations.
Because gay couples cannot have children on their own, adoption is one of the only options left to them, which makes their condemnation more than just cruel or prejudiced. According to many, it is unconstitutional. No other state in America still exclusively prevents gay citizens from adopting children (Maxwell 1), and many Floridians agree with this viewpoint. In a January 2009 poll, 55% of Florida citizens oppose the ban (Rich 1). Furthermore, at least two judges in recent court cases have declared that the law is unconstitutional: Judge Cindy Lederman, who tried to grant Martin Gill and his partner the right to adopt two boys whom they had fostered for five years (Spencer-Wendel 1), and Judge Maria Sampedro-Iglesia, who ruled that Vanessa Alenier had the right to adopt her nephew. These cases are now under appeal, though most experts agree that they should not be. Social workers, psychologists, neighbors, teachers, friends, and in Gill’s case the children themselves have spoken up in support of the two couples (Maxwell 2) (Spencer-Wendel 1). According to court records, social workers in Gill’s case ruled that he would be immediately “approved for adoption, but for the law.” (Spencer-Wendel 1) Rob Rosenwald Jr, and ACLU attorney, has been quoted as saying that many of the recent court cases “present, for the first time, the world’s foremost scientific authorities on children’s welfare to demonstrate that gay households are as conducive to raising children as straight ones.” (Spencer-Wendel 1-2). These parents are ready, willing, and able to raise children, and yet the state is refusing them that right, as if they would inexplicably become better parents if they were straight. Why should sexual orientation matter? In July 2009, you yourself were quoted as saying that an adoptive parent only needs “an open heart and the willingness to be a parent to a child who has experienced abuse, or neglect, and needs a safe and loving home.” (Rich 1) As members of a minority who have doubtless experienced neglect or abuse themselves, gay people are certainly ready to comfort those needy children.
One of the only credible arguments against gay adoption is that children cannot do well in lesbian or gay households-or at least, it would be a credible argument if it was not based on rumors and smoke. The people who reject gay parents in the name of the children’s welfare have no reliable studies that support those so-called facts, and many studies actually disprove it. (Rich 1) For example, in the cases of Martin Gill and Vanessa Alenier, psychologists were brought in to testify on the interests of the children. In both cases, they determined that the children were thriving under the care of their guardians, and staying in those households would be in the best interests of all the children involved. (Spencer-Wendel 1, Maxwell 1). The attorney for the two boys whom Gill was trying to adopt was quoted as saying, “What can be lost in that debate is the rights and best interests of two children… who are at the heart of… Florida’s absurd… ban on gay adoptions.” (Spencer-Wendel 4) Some people worry that children in gay-parent households might be subjected to bullying, but many parents find that it is not the case. “I don’t think our kids even see us as different, and other kids don’t seem to notice,” says Peter, who adopted two children along with his partner (Seal 2). Even if they do face some negative speech, gay parents, who have almost certainly been discriminated against in their lifetime, are more than prepared to empathize and console their children. Most children in foster care will already have some sort of stigma attached to them, whether because of race, family situation, economic status, or simply the fact that they are adopted. In fact, Peter has found that “being gay or lesbian should help you relate to the experiences of these children, because they’ve experienced difficult starts in life, they feel different and excluded and aware that other children haven’t had similar experiences.” (Seal 1) Other people agree with Peter, and actually take it one step further: they think that excluding gay and lesbian parents from adopting can actually have a negative effect on children. “Excluding a class of people is harmful to children, particularly those in our state who have had gay foster parents,” says ACLU spokesman Larry Spalding (Aasen 1). Imagine, for a moment, the confusion of a child who has been in the loving care of a gay foster parent. More than anything, that child wants a good home, and she knows that adoption is the only permanent solution. Imagine the pain of a devoted guardian having to tell that child that they cannot adopt her. Imagine the questions running through the child’s head--is she not good enough? Is her guardian not good enough? Has she been put into a home as dangerous as the one she just left? When it comes down to it, this law is only causing pain. It is not protecting our children--it is further harming them.
It as unquestionable fact that homosexuals are citizens of the US, as are the children whom they want to adopt, and as such they are guaranteed the rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Allowing orphaned or abused children to find homes with gay or lesbian parents is clearly the path to happiness for all involved, and in order to protect your constituents, you must abolish this unfair and unconstitutional law. In the past, supporters and opponents of the adoption law have dithered over what is right and wrong, what is to be done, but the children and parents whose futures are hanging in the balance don’t have time to wait. They need justice now, and it is no less than they deserve.
Aasen, Adam. "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Gives Different Answers on Gay Adoption." Florida Times-Union (2009): 1-2. Web.
Maxwell, Scott. “Crist’s DCF Still Trying to Stop Gay Adoption.” Orlando Sentinel (2010): 1-3. Web.
Rich, Nan. “Letting Gays Adopt Opens More Loving Homes to Foster Kids.” Sun-Sentinel (2009): 1-2. Web.
Seal, Rebecca. “The Rise of the Gay Dad.” Guardian Newspaper Limited (2009): 1-6. Web.
Spencer-Wendel, Susan. “Challenging a 32-Year-Old State Law.” Palm Beach Post (2009): 1-4. Web.
(PS--If you happen to be living in Florida and reading this journal, please encourage your town, city, or state government to abolish the ban on gay adoption! I really hope my persuasive paper has persuaded you to oppose the ban, but it won't happen unless people speak up.)
Every year, thousands of potential adopters are turned away by adoption agencies, some of them for legitimate reasons--because they lack the income, the resources, or the temperament to raise children. Others, however, are turned away for a different reason--because they are homosexual, and, under Florida law, “No person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is homosexual.” (Spencer-Wendel 3). This law, which was adopted in 1977, is unfair, unjust, and downright unconstitutional. Children need good homes, homes that they can thrive in, and gay or lesbian couples deserve the right to provide them with those homes. It is time for Florida to abolish this law and provide the children and parents with the rights that all citizens deserve.
As you are well aware, Florida is one of the leading states when it comes to adoption, with a record 3,700 adopted children in 2008 (Rich 1). The numbers are unbelievably high--and yet, they are not high enough. Due to federal regulations, foster children must be adopted within a year of entering foster care, but the average wait is more than two years in Florida. More than one thousand children have been waiting for over four years (Rich 1). More than one thousand have been forgotten by the state and left stranded in foster care, instead of being placed in loving homes. By not allowing gay parents to adopt, the state is abandoning the children. As an attorney in Broward said in a statement to the Palm Beach Post, “Florida’s children deserve good parents and if they happen to be gay, so what?” (Spencer-Wendel 3) So what? Are three year olds going to be prejudiced about someone who feeds them, tucks them in at night and kisses bumped elbows or scraped knees? Are older children going to refuse a happy couple and a gentle home just because of homophobic views inherited from their parents, who are unable or unwilling to support them anymore? It will not matter to the children who gives them a home, as long as they get a home, and therefore it should not matter to anyone else either. Their lives are the ones affected by these laws--those children, and the couples who adopt them. They are the ones who deserve the support of the law, not bigots who would refuse them homes based on unfounded accusations.
Because gay couples cannot have children on their own, adoption is one of the only options left to them, which makes their condemnation more than just cruel or prejudiced. According to many, it is unconstitutional. No other state in America still exclusively prevents gay citizens from adopting children (Maxwell 1), and many Floridians agree with this viewpoint. In a January 2009 poll, 55% of Florida citizens oppose the ban (Rich 1). Furthermore, at least two judges in recent court cases have declared that the law is unconstitutional: Judge Cindy Lederman, who tried to grant Martin Gill and his partner the right to adopt two boys whom they had fostered for five years (Spencer-Wendel 1), and Judge Maria Sampedro-Iglesia, who ruled that Vanessa Alenier had the right to adopt her nephew. These cases are now under appeal, though most experts agree that they should not be. Social workers, psychologists, neighbors, teachers, friends, and in Gill’s case the children themselves have spoken up in support of the two couples (Maxwell 2) (Spencer-Wendel 1). According to court records, social workers in Gill’s case ruled that he would be immediately “approved for adoption, but for the law.” (Spencer-Wendel 1) Rob Rosenwald Jr, and ACLU attorney, has been quoted as saying that many of the recent court cases “present, for the first time, the world’s foremost scientific authorities on children’s welfare to demonstrate that gay households are as conducive to raising children as straight ones.” (Spencer-Wendel 1-2). These parents are ready, willing, and able to raise children, and yet the state is refusing them that right, as if they would inexplicably become better parents if they were straight. Why should sexual orientation matter? In July 2009, you yourself were quoted as saying that an adoptive parent only needs “an open heart and the willingness to be a parent to a child who has experienced abuse, or neglect, and needs a safe and loving home.” (Rich 1) As members of a minority who have doubtless experienced neglect or abuse themselves, gay people are certainly ready to comfort those needy children.
One of the only credible arguments against gay adoption is that children cannot do well in lesbian or gay households-or at least, it would be a credible argument if it was not based on rumors and smoke. The people who reject gay parents in the name of the children’s welfare have no reliable studies that support those so-called facts, and many studies actually disprove it. (Rich 1) For example, in the cases of Martin Gill and Vanessa Alenier, psychologists were brought in to testify on the interests of the children. In both cases, they determined that the children were thriving under the care of their guardians, and staying in those households would be in the best interests of all the children involved. (Spencer-Wendel 1, Maxwell 1). The attorney for the two boys whom Gill was trying to adopt was quoted as saying, “What can be lost in that debate is the rights and best interests of two children… who are at the heart of… Florida’s absurd… ban on gay adoptions.” (Spencer-Wendel 4) Some people worry that children in gay-parent households might be subjected to bullying, but many parents find that it is not the case. “I don’t think our kids even see us as different, and other kids don’t seem to notice,” says Peter, who adopted two children along with his partner (Seal 2). Even if they do face some negative speech, gay parents, who have almost certainly been discriminated against in their lifetime, are more than prepared to empathize and console their children. Most children in foster care will already have some sort of stigma attached to them, whether because of race, family situation, economic status, or simply the fact that they are adopted. In fact, Peter has found that “being gay or lesbian should help you relate to the experiences of these children, because they’ve experienced difficult starts in life, they feel different and excluded and aware that other children haven’t had similar experiences.” (Seal 1) Other people agree with Peter, and actually take it one step further: they think that excluding gay and lesbian parents from adopting can actually have a negative effect on children. “Excluding a class of people is harmful to children, particularly those in our state who have had gay foster parents,” says ACLU spokesman Larry Spalding (Aasen 1). Imagine, for a moment, the confusion of a child who has been in the loving care of a gay foster parent. More than anything, that child wants a good home, and she knows that adoption is the only permanent solution. Imagine the pain of a devoted guardian having to tell that child that they cannot adopt her. Imagine the questions running through the child’s head--is she not good enough? Is her guardian not good enough? Has she been put into a home as dangerous as the one she just left? When it comes down to it, this law is only causing pain. It is not protecting our children--it is further harming them.
It as unquestionable fact that homosexuals are citizens of the US, as are the children whom they want to adopt, and as such they are guaranteed the rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Allowing orphaned or abused children to find homes with gay or lesbian parents is clearly the path to happiness for all involved, and in order to protect your constituents, you must abolish this unfair and unconstitutional law. In the past, supporters and opponents of the adoption law have dithered over what is right and wrong, what is to be done, but the children and parents whose futures are hanging in the balance don’t have time to wait. They need justice now, and it is no less than they deserve.
Aasen, Adam. "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Gives Different Answers on Gay Adoption." Florida Times-Union (2009): 1-2. Web.
Maxwell, Scott. “Crist’s DCF Still Trying to Stop Gay Adoption.” Orlando Sentinel (2010): 1-3. Web.
Rich, Nan. “Letting Gays Adopt Opens More Loving Homes to Foster Kids.” Sun-Sentinel (2009): 1-2. Web.
Seal, Rebecca. “The Rise of the Gay Dad.” Guardian Newspaper Limited (2009): 1-6. Web.
Spencer-Wendel, Susan. “Challenging a 32-Year-Old State Law.” Palm Beach Post (2009): 1-4. Web.
(PS--If you happen to be living in Florida and reading this journal, please encourage your town, city, or state government to abolish the ban on gay adoption! I really hope my persuasive paper has persuaded you to oppose the ban, but it won't happen unless people speak up.)