by Kat Stovall

Created on: October 13, 2008

Why would it not be appropriate for gay couples to adopt children? A child needs a loving support system in their lives. Each of their physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental needs must be met. As parents we grow with our children, we set examples, we leave lasting impressions, and we even make mistakes. It doesn't matter if a child has a mommy and daddy, a single parent, is raised by an aunt or uncle, lives with grandma, has two mommies, or has two daddies. All that matters is that the child is raised in a safe and loving home where they are brought up to be as well adjusted as any person can be in today's society. I know straight couples who have done far worse damage to their children than the lesbian and gay parents that I do know. Parenting is not about sexual preference it is about doing whats best for the child. It is about knowing that your child is the most precious gift possible and protecting them from the dangers of the world. For those that argue that a child adopted by a gay or lesbian couple will face ridicule and hardships they normally wouldn't, I say their ideas are ridiculous. Children and teenagers can be brutal and harsh and they will find a way to ridicule almost anyone for one reason or another. A child of a gay or lesbian couple will not be harassed anymore than the child with braces, who is poor, or who is not beautiful. The fact is that our own misgivings, misunderstandings, and unacknowledged fear about homosexuality shows through the actions of our children. If we teach and practice tolerance for every human being our children will project the same attitudes. For every reason someone could give for why children should only be adopted by heterosexual couples there are ten children who need a family. Children of all ages, races, genders, and nationalities wait to hear the words, "Welcome Home". These children wait to be hugged, to be loved, and to be part of a real family. Many children each year age out of the system and never know what it is to have people to help them, to care about them, and to support them. These children spend holidays alone or with families who are not their own. They have no one to call when they are lost or lonely. These children deserve better. Why deny a child the gift of a life lived with loving parents in a stable home instead of being left in a broken and uncaring governmental system based on intolerance?

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