1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Issue
The purpose of creating this report is to investigate the effects of giving gay rights on the adoption of children.
In the last decade, the number of gays and lesbians forming their own families through artificial insemination, adoption, and other means has rapidly increased. Researchers have estimated that 6 to 14 million of children in the United States are living with at least a gay parent (American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.). Gay adoption can be defined as a type of adoption when a person of a different sexual orientation from the mass adopt a child. The population of LGBT in the United States of America is expected to increase from 12.8% to 19% in 2030 (American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.).
In the United States, there is currently a severe lack of adoptive and foster parents. This means that a lot of unwanted children and orphans do not have permanent homes, while some lived in inferior homes. Petit and Curtis (1997, as cited in American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.) stated that throughout the United States, around 500,000 children are currently living in foster care, while it is estimated that 100,000 of them need to be adopted. Despite that, only 20 per cent of these children are adopted by qualified adoptive parents. Sokoloff (1993, as cited in American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.) mentioned that majority of these children are not adopted because they are not healthy white infants. Another reason they are not adopted is due to notable health issues. In fact, many of the unadopted children live in scarcity which they have insufficient necessities to fulfill their wants and needs.
On the other hand, by making gay adoption legal, there is a high chance that this type of adoption may cause harm towards the children that are in need. Studies have found out that the divorcement rate of homosexual parents is much higher compared to heterosexual parents. In the research conducted by Walter (2015), he found out that children of homosexual parents were much more likely to be involved in a serious bullying case. In extreme cases, the children might be teased due of the sexual preference of their parents and their beliefs.
Hence, there is a need for more research to be done on legalizing gay adopting rights to further investigate whether it should be allowed or not.
1.2 Objectives of the Research
The two main purposes of doing this report with the first being to find out the positive effect of giving gay adoption rights on children and then to uncover the disadvantage of giving gay adoption rights.
1.3 Scope of Research
Giving gay adoption rights greatly impacts children who are in need whether it is positively or negatively. This report mainly focuses on finding out should gay adoption be legalized or not by analyzing the studies by others.
2.0 Procedure
Multiple numbers of secondary resources were brought up in this research process. Sources range from online articles, news website such as CNS, journals, online databases as well as the Sunway University Library. These sources were chosen because it has a direct relation to the topic.
3.0 Analysis of Findings
3.1 The positive effect of giving gay adopting rights towards children and the society
Giving gay the rights to adopt children can often bring positive effects towards the society and the children who are in need because gay parents sometimes can be better than heterosexual parents. At the same time, by giving them gay adopting rights, more children who are in need will be able to be adopted and experience family love.
Gay parents sometimes can be better than heterosexual parents because they understand more about their children. As gay parents know that they are different from the norm, they are able to predict what their children are going through and would have pay more attention to observe issues that their children might be facing at school. This, in turn, could aid in their children’s well-being (Crouch, n.d. as cited in Williams, 2013). Goldberg (n.d., as cited in Pappas, 2012), a Massachusetts psychologist who researched about gay and lesbian parenting, also states that gays would have more commitment and involvement in taking care of their children because they rarely become parents by accident. In contrast, gay couples will have to plan on having kids as they had to overcome their biological limit either by adopting or by using in vitro fertilization as an alternative. As it is hard to obtain the means to become parents, gays tend to be more responsible due to these challenges that they are facing as they have decided and determined to be parents (Williams, 2013). With all these, it creates a positive impact on helping children who are in need of family love and care.
Furthermore, if gay adopting is legalized, more children in need will be able to be adopted. Research has indicated that gay parents reduce the scarcity of love and care that unwanted children and orphans are facing and act as a powerful asset for these kids who are in need. As stated in a report in 2007 by the Urban Institute and the Williams Institute, in the year between 2000 and 2002, 14,000 of kids living in foster homes lead by gay parents while another 65,000 of kids living with gay and lesbian parents (Pappas, 2012). Evan (2011, as cited in Pappas, 2012) reported that gay parents usually adopt those minority children who have special needs. Brodzinsky (n.d., as cited in Pappas, 2012) has described gay parents as ‘a huge reservoir of potential parents’ that could save children who are in need out of the unstable foster system. Therefore, if gays have adoption rights, more children who are in need of family love and care will be adopted and live happily.
In conclusion, giving gay adopting rights can bring positive effect as gays can give their adopted children family love and care. Gay parents would also make effort to understand issues their children are facing and this helps in benefitting their children’s health. Moreover, by giving the rights of adoption to gays, it helps to decrease the number of children who are desperately in need of love.
3.2 The negative effect of giving gay adopting rights towards children and the society
Although it is claimed that giving gay adoption rights can bring positive effect on children who are in need, there are also arguments claiming that gay adoption harms the children. This is because children need heterosexual parents as proper male and female role models. At the same time, the adoption of children by gay parents are likely to harm the children health as they are more likely to be exposed to negative issues.
Giving gay adoption rights might be bad for the children as father and mother play a different role in bringing up a child. Fathers excel in guiding children in terms of reducing antisocial behaviour, delinquency and sexual activity in kids. They have unique qualities like being a protector to a family and a role model (Family Research Council, 2004). Fathers also influence biological preferences of their daughter and provide an example for their daughters to look for in a man (Family Research Council, 2004). Besides that, the father encourages children to involve in physical activities and networking (Family Research Council, 2004). On the other hand, a mother plays a totally different role in teaching their child. Mothers are good in giving their children emotional support and security (Family Research Council, 2004). Unbelievably, it is a fact that mothers seem to be able to read the mind of their children by their physical and emotional cues (Family Research Council, 2004). Mothers also place emphasis on children’s emotional security, the well-being of children and their personal safety (Family Research Council, 2004). If gays have adoption rights, the adopted children are denied a father or a mother. Thus, giving gay adoption rights might affect the growth of children.
Secondly, by giving gays the rights to adopt children, children are more likely to be exposed to negative issues to be harmed by it. It is reported in CNS news by Wardle (2016) that about a quarter of children of same sex parents claimed that they had been sexually abused. Children of gay parents are twice as likely to have depression as children of heterosexual parents (Wardle, 2016). Medical Institute of Sexual Health (1999, as cited in Gale, 2008) mentioned that drug abuse by homosexual parents are significantly higher than heterosexual parents, therefore it will endanger the health of children. It is reported that 69% of lesbian families are having financial problems which their children were forced to work to make a living (Gale, 2008). Hence, all this evidence has pointed out that giving gays the rights to adopt expose the adopted children to negative issues and harm them.
In conclusion, giving gay adoption rights can bring negative effects as it might bring potential harm to the children while children need a father and a mother. At the same time, children might be exposed to potential negative issues and are harmed by it.
4.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, after a thorough research about gay adoption rights, it can clearly be seen that it should not be legalized as the negative effects are much stronger than the positive effects. However, the positive effects of giving rights of adoption to gays cannot be ignored just because the negative effects are greater as this might cause more children to lose the opportunity to have a family. Thus, more detailed research regarding the topic and arguments from both sides are needed.