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Open Adoption Article
Gay And Lesbian AdoptionEvery responsible, loving adult has the inherent right to share his or her life with a child. Fortunately, today's society realizes that a person's ability to care for a child, and not his or her sexual orientation, should determine parental rights. In our tolerant, accepting generation certain controversial "issues" of the past, like gay and lesbian adoption, are now understood and encouraged. The idea of gay and lesbian adoption is certainly not new. In recent years, however, this concept has been the subject of much debate. It's now discussed freely and openly because the very subject of alternative lifestyles has become a common topic of discussion. No longer do gays and lesbians feel compelled or obligated to hide their lifestyles. Today, these deserving individuals enjoy the same legal considerations as heterosexual adoptive parents. Gay and lesbian adoption was, for many years, a subject of attack by government, agencies and society in general. In those days (and, sadly, even today) people actually believed that children might suffer behavioral or emotional harm if they were not raised in the presence of both a man and a woman. There were also those who would try to argue that exposing a young child to homosexuality could potentially affect his or her development. These archaic thinkers held that the child would suffer from delayed sexual maturity, experience negative consequences or even "learn to be gay". To be considered for adoption, many homosexual couples were forced to lie about their personal lives. One partner would petition for the adoption and complete the adoption process, while the other would pose as a roommate or friend. While this tactic was sometimes successful, adoption is a legal act that requires full disclosure and honesty from all parties. By being forced to lie about their own fundamental lifestyles, these adoptive parents were placed in a very tense situation. Society's general acceptance of gay and lesbian adoption has fortunately changed, making legal entitlement much more accessible to couples. Gay adoption is now quite common and potential parents are free to choose from the three basic adoption processes: Independent Adoption Process This process involves a third party, but does not include a typical adoption agency or a social worker. Many attorneys and doctors can facilitate independent adoption and the final decisions rest with the families involved. This type of adoption is illegal in many states and countries, but in other areas it is a recognized and accepted legal process. International Adoption It's been suggested that this is the most complicated and difficult process for gay and lesbian couples. This is because the potential parents must work with an agency when adopting a child from another country, and many countries and cultures still discriminate against homosexuals. It can also be tricky to find an adoption agency that is willing to deal with an international country and can find a child to place with a gay couple. The Public Agency Adoption This is the most common adoption process, in which the adoption agency and the courts are involved in the decision to grant or deny the adoption. Ideally, these groups and delegates will act in the best interest of the child, and put their own personal biases aside. Some experts suggest that this system is still somewhat subjective toward the attitudes of the agency and state. Gay and lesbian adoption, although more common and freely discussed, remains a matter of controversy for certain conservative groups. Homosexual couples may still feel the need to hide their lifestyle from homophobic eyes; however, modern trends of acceptance indicate that the tides are shifting for the better. Writer Calida Sevier is an essayist for several popular web magazines, on lesbian personals and pharmaceutical product issues.
Open Adoption NewsTwins give couple a chance to healDetroit Free Press - That open-book policy is not something we were used to," Amanda Heinrich said of Adoption Associates. "We talked to three families, face-to-face. Read more...N.J. considers unsealing adoption recordsPhiladelphia Daily News - Others believe adoption rates could drop and abortion rates rise as a result. Various bills to open birth records to adoptees have passed either the Senate or the Assembly over the years, but never both. Read more...Editorial: Adoption bill puts birth parents at riskMinneapolis Star Tribune - In that time, about one in 10 birth parents have opted to prevent disclosure, according to the Minnesota Coalition for Adoption Reform, which is promoting the "open records" change in adoption law. Read more...Open Solutions Alliance, Celebrates First Year, with Member ExpansionStockhouse Canada - - Nonprofit, vendor-neutral consortium for interoperability and mainstream adoption of comprehensive open solutions, the Open Solutions Alliance (OSA), has achieved its one-year anniversary with three new members. In addition, armed with a global ... Read more...EU to consider buying open-source softwareInternational Herald Tribune - The commission, with about 32,000 employees, mainly in Brussels, has made several steps to use open-source software for its administration. But Piana, of the Free Software Foundation Europe, said the adoption of the software by governments had been ... Read more...More People Pushed Into Part-Time Work ForceWall Street Journal - A big factor is the fast-growing retail sector, which has felt more pressure to use part-timers since many supermarket and big-box chains started staying open for extended hours in the 1980s and 1990s. The stores' most recent wrinkle is the adoption ... Read more...Foster teen receives family one day before 18th birthdayEl Paso Times - There are a lot of teenagers that want a family, and Timothy has been wanting a family since he became eligible for adoption," she said. "The need is out there, it's just a family that is willing to open up their hearts and open up Read more... |
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