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Baby Adoption for Gay Couples |
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Homosexual couples adopting babies
has always been a very controversial topic. Some people fear that gay
couples cannot give a ?normal? environment in which to properly raise a
child. Some also question the effect of what is considered an abnormal
set up to the well-being of a child.
Secret Adoptions
Homosexuals have been adopting
babies for a long time. However, up until recently, they have all been
done in secret. They had to keep their adoptions clandestine because of
the way society feels about gays adopting. Gay couples used to lie in
order to be allowed to adopt. Usually, one member of the couple will
adopt a baby and say that the other person was only a friend or
roommate. What they were doing was illegal since it is against the law
to lie in an adoption application. This is considered fraud, and if they
get caught, the adoption may become void, and possible criminal charges
may be filed.
Legality of Gay Adoption
Today, only one state still has
a law that bans homosexuals from adopting babies. In the entire United
States, Florida is the only state that outlaws gay adoption. Nine states
allow gays to openly adopt as a couple, while in the other states, only
one member of the couple is allowed to adopt the baby. After the
adoption is finalized, the second member of the couple can then apply to
become the second parent. This is the only way homosexuals can legally
adopt in those states.
Fears
Many organizations have done
research on the effects of children being raised by same-sex couples,
and the results are mostly unfavorable to homosexuals. But gay advocate
groups contend that the studies are generally unreliable and biased,
depending on who conducted the research. Gay and lesbian groups have
produced favorable results in their studies, while religious and
conservative groups insist on the negative effects of gay adoption on a
child. Experts now say considering the strong feelings people have, it
is nearly impossible to have an objective study on this topic.
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