Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles

Title: Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles

Summary:
This article, written by Maggie Jackson for The Boston Globe and published on March 26th, 2006, states that adopting a child isn't always easy but for same sex couples the difficulty can be multiplied. Often times adoption agencies and social workers are reluctant or even refuse to help gay and lesbian couples, forcing them to hide their relationship or have one parent make a solo adoption. If and when a same sex couple is able to adopt and bring home their child though, they aren't out of the woods of discrimination. They face the same challenges of raising children as heterosexual couples do with the pressure of constant comparison added on to their plate. A study proved that more often than not, these couples urn to friends for help with their children than their families becuase still many people believe that they are unable to parent their children as well as a couple made up of a man and a woman.


Reflection:
As I read this article I was honestly rather shocked by some of the facts I read. Quite a ew states don't recognize same sex couples as what I would consider 'real couples' and many states also don't allow same sex couples to adopt children. I've heard The United States of America called the Land of Equality and Freedom, but nothing about these issues sounds equal or free to me. I had trouble reading this article and ones like it becuase it truly hurt me to know that just becuase someone is different from the norm they can be penalized for it. I won't ever have to deal with any of these issues, and yet it hurts me; i hurts me just the same as a friend of mine who may never have the ability to officially be married or even adopt a child becuase he is different.


Evidence:

* "In Oklahoma, people stared when Emma called both Tanya and Sharon "Mom," and one adoption judge refused to consider their case."
*"Despite 30 years of studies showing that sexual orientation doesn't affect quality of parenting, close relatives often are skeptical, said Abbie Goldberg, an assistant professor of psychology at Clark University, who is studying same-sex couples' transitions to adoptive parenthood."
*""The reality is that families come in all shapes and sizes," said Beth Teper, executive director of Colage, a San Francisco-based advocacy group for children with gay and lesbian parents. "Our families are much more diverse than the 'one mom, one dad, 2.5 children' model.""

Questions:

* Other than religious beliefs, what cuases most people to be so against same sex marriage and same sex couples adopting children?


Source:
Jackson, Maggie. "Same-Sex Couples Face Unique Adoption Hurdles". The Boston Globe. 2 Feb. 2010 .