Gay and Lesbian Adults Should Legally Adopt and Foster Orphan Children

A child was adopted from a Haitian Orphanage at the age of two and one-half years. By the time the little girl was four years old, she was demonstrating such violent temper tantrums that the adoptive parents relinquished her to social services. The four year old girl was placed in a foster home. The foster parents were a lesbian couple who were devoted to her success and within months the temper tantrums vanished and the child flourished. The Christian missionary worker who initially matched her with the adoptive family became aware of her placement in the home of a lesbian couple and protested vehemently. Ultimately, social services responded by removing the child from the gay parent’s home and placed her in a group home. The next four years of this little girl’s life were filled with tantrums, learning struggles, and counseling as professional people struggled to help her cope with repeated abandonment.

There is no evidence to support concern that gay and lesbian parents have a negative impact on the children they care for. Children who suffer repeated abandonment and loss need loving and committed parents to recover. There are not enough loving homes that are prepared to care for orphans with special needs.

It is a good thing, a blessing that many gay and lesbian adults also wish to be parents. Sadly, outdated social mores and religious beliefs have prevented some states and many individuals from embracing the gay and lesbian community as a rich resource for foster and adoptive parents. The sexual persuasion of an adult does not have any impact whatsoever on the ability to nurture and care for a child.

Children who have experienced abandonment and abuse can and do recover fully with the love and care of committed adults. These children will soon become adults and society needs these children to be fully functioning and capable as all citizens. Many abused children grow up to be loving and giving people. They will tell you they would not be successful and happy without the parents who loved them unconditionally throughout the remainder of their childhood.

It is a certainty that there are children who are orphans and children who are suffering from abuse and neglect. Their lives and futures are very much at risk. It is also true that there are gay and lesbian adults who are good at their jobs, have financial stability, have cleared every background check, and taken every parenting class available and are waiting to be parents. States that do not permit members of the Gay and Lesbian community to foster or adopt children are denying many children a life of health and happiness which all children deserve.