Is Homosexual Adoption Right? (ENDS 24/7/11)

[Cosmic]

As society gradually moves closer towards tolerance towards homosexual couples, the issue of single-sex adoption has been brought to people's attention. I think that there are various issues that pertain to single-sex adoption. Firstly, can the child be brought up the same fashion as he or she would be under the care and guidance of heterosexual parents? Do you feel that a child needs to have clear gender role-models?

In terms of schooling and socialising with other children, I personally think that from my experience through school, it is likely that a child with 'two dads/mums' is likely to be bullied. Do you think the child could become a target for bullying? This then raises the question about whether it is morally right for a child to be raised in this manner. I am not sure how I would handle the news that my child/children are being victimised because of me, as I'm sure that any parent would agree with.

Please try to be as honest as possible here. I'm really looking forward to seeing what people think.

[Tom]

If I'm perfectly honest. Whether you're gay straight or bi you should be able to do anything you want to WITH equality! Homosexual people can't help how they are as they're born their way. So why can't they adopt? Because this so called 'God' doesn't accept being homosexual? If he created everyone in the world he obviously created homosexual people. There's nothing wrong with 2 men bringing up a baby and society should accept that 2 caring men want to bring up a baby. In fact, most gay couples are more 'safer' for babies than some Heterosexual couples - so what's this about 'God' not allowing homosexual people? If I'm honest God's still a virgin so he can go away.

With what you said 'Can they be brought up in the same fashion as he or she would be under the care and guidance of heterosexual parents' - yes they can. Homosexual parents are just the same as heterosexual parents but just the same sex. We all think the same and we all act the same no matter what orientation we are. We are ALL humans at the end of the day.

Most people are worried about their children being bullied if they grow up with homosexual parents, but why? Children learn of their parents - if their parents aren't homophobic etc they won't pick it up and they will accept it. I blame their parents if I'm totally honest as if they didn't bring society up the way they have then we wouldn't have homophobic people etc. Then their children wouldn't learn it!

[FlyingJesus]

Ok disregarding the I LOVE EQUALITY IT TOTALLY EXISTS SELLING GAY RIGHTS 3HC argument, there's literally no basis for not allowing gay adoption other than the possibility of the child being bullied - a possibility that exists for ALL victim personality children and is already increased by them being adopted. Harsh obv, but let's be realistic it is more likely. I don't think one can reasonably discount the benefits of a stable home life (assuming that the prospective fathers/mothers still have tough checks done before adoption) simply on the basis that the child's peers might pick on them, especially when it's clearly far more detrimental for said child to be stuck in a halfway house - or worse, an unloving home - while they wait for a couple with opposing sex organs to give them a chance.

The thing with bullying is that if a child is going to be bullied, they're gonna be bullied. Be it because they have 2 dads, a huge nose, a lingering odour of onions, a lisp, or even just because someone wants to have a go at them, it will happen and using that as an attempt at logically not allowing homosexual couples to adopt makes as much sense as not letting poor people breed because their children won't have fancy clothes and will get bullied for that.

[RandomManJay]

Gender roles are established from more than your parents, and whether or not you have two mothers or fathers will not change how your roles are formed. Research in parenting has only ever supported the view that a "normal" child development requires a loving, caring and stable environment, which is not based upon whether or not there is a mother and father, one mother or one father, or is the parents are of the same-sex.

With regards to bullying: Children will always be bullied, and there will always be something to be bullied about, even if there isn't a genuine reason at all. The fact that a child having same-sex parents would only mean there is one extra thing that a child could be bullied about. It would be like a child bullying your child because you're in a wheelchair, or is overweight, or have blond hair. Yes it could cause problems when they're older when they begin to understand what the bullying was about, but society wont progress forward unless a minority which is supposed to be treated equally is actually treated equally. Also I highly doubt children wouldn't bully each other about the sexuality of their parents even if they are opposite-sex.

There's other things to consider also, like parents divorcing and one becoming actively gay, or surrogacy; basically any situation where the child is biologically related to a person who is gay. The situation is essentially the same, and we wouldn't consider taking a parent's child away from them simply because they're gay and are in a committed relationship.

[Tom]

Ok disregarding the I LOVE EQUALITY IT TOTALLY EXISTS SELLING GAY RIGHTS 3HC argument, there's literally no basis for not allowing gay adoption other than the possibility of the child being bullied - a possibility that exists for ALL victim personality children and is already increased by them being adopted. Harsh obv, but let's be realistic it is more likely. I don't think one can reasonably discount the benefits of a stable home life (assuming that the prospective fathers/mothers still have tough checks done before adoption) simply on the basis that the child's peers might pick on them, especially when it's clearly far more detrimental for said child to be stuck in a halfway house - or worse, an unloving home - while they wait for a couple with opposing sex organs to give them a chance.

The thing with bullying is that if a child is going to be bullied, they're gonna be bullied. Be it because they have 2 dads, a huge nose, a lingering odour of onions, a lisp, or even just because someone wants to have a go at them, it will happen and using that as an attempt at logically not allowing homosexual couples to adopt makes as much sense as not letting poor people breed because their children won't have fancy clothes and will get bullied for that.

I agree with you on the fact that the child will probably be bullied, and the fact that it doesn't make a difference for what. It's just something that some big cocky kids can make fun of to make their reputation higher. Again, as I primarily mentioned, as did .Sarcastix. - kids learn off their parents and that's the way it will always be.

[Mathew]

I don't think this is a debateable topic really. Society has changed in recent years and I think you'd be extremely unreasonable to suggest homosexual adoption isn't right... not to mention the fact that you'd be incredibly out of touch with current affairs and the world in general.

[Tom]

That's true Mathew - there's limited things you can say on this subject and what you can actually argue over.

[Inseriousity.]

Yes children with two dads are likely to be bullied but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. They'll get through it like every other victim of bullying does in the end. As long as they're able to provide stability and love, I have no problem with same-sex parents.

[Hollie]

It's natural to want to have kids whether your gay or straight, so of course it's right. As long as you can provide a stable upbringing, but that goes for every parents tbh, not just homosexual parents.

[Technologic]

I do want kids but I really don't know where to stand on the subject, i was bullied horrendously during junior school and i wouldn't want to put a child through that if other kids found out they had gay parents.... then again if it's the right environment then i feel that any couple, gay or straight, can raise a child properly in a good home. I'll probably foster at first before full on adoption