SAME SEX ADOPTION
By, Salomé Yari G. What do Colombia, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina have in common? According to “TeleSur”, these countries allow same-sex couples to adopt children. The rights of homosexuals people vary in each country, and have changed over time. One of the rights that has been fought for is to be able to adopt, but due to the prejudices of society this has not yet been achieved. Same sex adoption “should be legalized everywhere because anyone who is able to meet the requirements of being a loving parent deserves to become a parent, despite their sexual preferences and around the world, many kids would be grateful to have two loving parents” (Hsu, 2013). This issue emerged several years ago and along with it came another problems. One of them has to do with the concern that the sexual orientation of the child would be affected by having parents of the same sex. In the past, "the behavioral tendencies of having sex with people of the same sex go back to the first centuries" (Layton, 2010). This is evident from artwork portraying two people of similar sex in relationships. Same-sex couples already existed but kept it a secret so as not to be discriminated against. However, in some parts of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt there is evidence that samesex marriages were tolerated by the people of that society. It is shown that same-sex relationships were recognized by the kingdom. For example, a Pharaonic tomb was built for a same-sex couple. Further, none of the recorded laws of Mesopotamia, including the Hammurabi Code, contain restrictions on same-sex unions (Salazar, 2011).
The topic of adoption is a delicate issue because of the way in which children are educated and whether this would impact their sexual orientation. In the same way, Mark Regnerus (2014) a sociologist at the Center for Population Research at the University of Texas, “conducted a study on same-sex adoptions and concluded that young people who have grown up in same-sex households are more prone to mental problems, less stable relationships and higher crime rates” (Regneurs, 2014). Likewise, in a study by Rachel H. Farr “examining adopted children’s development due to the parenting orientation discovered that children development was not affected by the sexual orientation of their parents. There is are controversy on whether gay families should adopt young children” (Premiun Papers, 2010). Moreover, they concluded that "the sexual orientation of the parents had no effect on the development and adjustment of children, but on the family process and the technique of the parents, regardless of the sexual orientation of the parents" (Engle & Huffman, 2010). Around the world, there are several people who were adopted by same-sex couples, below I present a clear example of this: Zack Wahls, a boy who at the age of 19 has his own company, and he spoke in the House Joint Resolution 6 in Iowa, “where a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage (where permitted) was being discussed to explain their situation and experiences as a child raised by two lesbians” (Bastida, 2013). He is a rather bright young man, who said: “In my 19 years old not once have I met an individual who realized that I have been raised by a gay couple” (Wahls, 2011). So, his family is not that different from us because the sense of our families does not stem from the fact that the state has told them "they are married, congratulations." No, the sense of family derives from the commitment to the other, from being united in difficult times and enjoying the good ones. Driven by the love that unites us, that is what makes us a true family.
In addition to that, I can say that same sex adoption can give a child a home and therefore a family. Also, it can give him or her an emotional and financial stability. According to “Caracol”, between 1997 and 2016, 45 thousand children were adopted. But more than 3700 children expect to be adopted, this only in the case of Colombia. It is, therefore, important to understand that same-sex parental adoption is, in fact, an issue that needs to be examined with caution because we can affect the child's feelings. Nowadays, with all these argumentative facts, there is no precise reason to deny homosexual people the right to adopt children because it would be inappropriate to prohibit same-sex couples from having a similar right to others in the community. And if you exercise that you would be exhibiting homophobia: fear, discomfort or hatred, against lesbian, gay or bisexual people. Also, you would be trying to suggest that these parents will end up being inferior. The best way to eliminate this strange ideology is through exposure and accepting it. The community must recognize that homosexual people can raise children in a loving and appropriate way (LawTeacher, s.f.). To conclude, there are parents who are anxious to have a child in their homes and children who are anxious to be adopted and have a beautiful family. Unfortunately, that is forbidden. Same sex adoption should be legalized all over the world because it would benefit both the child and the parents, and also, society because it will decrease the rate of juvenile offenders who are the result of a “foster home”: “a household in which a child is raised by someone other than his natural or adoptive parent” (Dictionary, 2017). And at the end of the day, the only thing that is important is family love.
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