A recent survey carried out by children's charity Action For Children, revealed that more than one-third of those surveyed believe that gay couples should not be allowed to adopt children. The findings have been described as 'shocking and disappointing'. Why should gay couples not be allowed to adopt when there are plenty of parents who abandon or abuse their children? Baby P, Karen Matthews are cases in point, both raised by heterosexual parents. The Baby P incident in particular sent shockwaves through the entire country. A post-mortem revealed he had swallowed a tooth after being punched in the mouth, and also suffered a broken back, broken ribs, having the tips of his fingers sliced off, and his nails pulled out. There have been no reported cases of such disgusting and sickening abuse being carried out on a child in the care of gay parents. There is no evidence to suggest that gay parents will be anymore detrimental to a child’s health or well being than a heterosexual parent. Those who argue that gay couples, and gay men in particular are likely to sexually abuse children have no hard facts to support such claims.
It has recently been revealed that a number of Roman Catholic adoption agencies would rather close than allow gay couples to adopt. The words petty and homophobic spring to mind, such a small minded retaliation would be severely damaging to the children within their care. Not to mention that it is extremely discriminatory and insulting to the gay community as a whole, that an establishment in such a great position of power would rather leave children in serious need of love and homes in the unsatisfactory care system instead of a much more secure environment with caring parents.
Many who oppose the introduction of gay adoption believe that it goes against religion. But why should religion dictate how people live their lives or what they should or should not be allowed to do? Christian’s seem to believe that gay adoption goes against the Fifth Commandment, ‘Honour thy father and mother’, if gay people are such an insult to religion, what about the commandments which are directly aimed at heterosexual couples who clearly break these commandments everyday. Just a brief search on the internet highlights just how many anti-gay groups and campaigns are around, due to the fact that many believe that gay people should not be given the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. The reasoninf for this; that it goes against the teachings from the Bible. However when searching further on the internet I was unable to find any anti-adultery groups or campaigns despite the fact that adultery goes against the Seventh Commandment. Double standards much?!
Barring gay people from becoming parents is discrimination, based on sexual orientation. This level of discrimination would not be acceptable in any other contexts, for example; in a persons place of work, so why should it be acceptable in any other aspect of their lives. Adoption agencies have so many children who require a stable home, surely a loving home is better than no home at all. There is a major shortage of adoptive parents, and regardless of whether the family, is heterosexual or gay, it is better than the foster care system, not to undermine the foster care system and the terrific job that foster parents do. But surely the fact that the child or children will be offered far more stability than the possibility of having to be moved around different foster families, this can only be a good thing.
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