Homosexuals And Adoption

9 Pages 2339 Words

haracteristic of his or her parenting ability. Those in favor of same-sex adoptions argue that sexual orientation only matters because of the discrimination and stigmatization placed upon it by society. The message being sent by our government is that this type of discriminatory behavior is acceptable. As with other areas of child welfare, prospective adoptive parents should be required to meet the same objective criteria to be considered eligible to adopt. (Crawford, 1999). That is what would be in the best interest of the child.
The conservative view to this debate raises ethical concerns and focuses on conventional family values. Those opposed to these non-traditional families side that stability in family structure comes from being raised by both a mother and a father. Glenn Stanton, the Director of Social Research and Cultural Affairs for Marriage and Sexuality at Focus on the Family stated that “much of the value mothers and fathers bring to their children is due to the fact that mothers and fathers are different. And by cooperating together and complementing each other in their differences, they provide these good things that same-sex caregivers cannot.” (Stanton, 2003, 1). People who support this outlook see homosexuals as unfit parents. These views hold old-fashioned values as well as religious ones that stem from the beginning of time. Colin Hart, the Director of the Christian Institute, thinks that it is “cruel deliberately to deny adopted children a mother and a father for no other reason than to support gay rights.” (Same-Sex Parenting is Bad For Kids, 2002, p.2). He believes that children need a male and a female role model in a permanent relationship. Others feel similarly to Hart. Homosexual parenting weakens the institution of the family, the most important organization a child belongs to. A family consisting of a father, mother, and children who are loved is the ideal and what is best fo...