Michigan legislators on the state House Committee on Families, Children, and Seniors have passed three bills that would give taxpayer-funded adoption agencies the right to deny an adoption placement based on that agency’s moral or religious beliefs. This is an anti-LGBT bill, no doubt about it — but it is the children needing homes who will suffer the most. . Here’s what you can do to help stop these bills from going any further.
A new study by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute aims to look at how the Internet and social media are impacting people touched by adoption, from adopted persons to adoptive parents, birth/first parents, and adoption professionals. If you fit one of those categories, they want your input!
More stories I haven’t covered earlier, including a terrific piece by the mother of a sperm donor; a newly out lesbian mom with a major university sports program; and yet more research showing sexual orientation of parents doesn’t negatively impact children.
From the “how could I have missed this” files: While studies show [and they do] that children with same-sex parents are just as well-adjusted as those with different-sex parents, they might lead us to overlook the full experience of adopted children, wrote Frank Ligtvoet in the New York Times a few weeks back. Ligtvoet, a gay dad with two adopted children, reminds us that “motherless parenting is a misnomer.”
A second study published within the past week has concluded that how adoptive parents relate to each other is more important to their children’s development than their sexual orientation is.
Yet another study has confirmed what many of us already know: having same-sex parents doesn’t predict how well-adjusted a child will be. This new study is notable, however, for looking at adopted children who were placed in their adoptive homes at a very young age.
The New York City Administration for Children’s Services has launched a new, citywide campaign for adoptive and foster parents, including LGBT parents and those affirming of LGBT youth.
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a leading (and LGBT inclusive) national non-profit devoted to improving adoption policy and practice, is conducting a new study on diversity adoptive family life—and they want LGBT families to be a part.
I could talk about the fact that the new pope called adoption by gay parents a form of “discrimination against children.” But are we really surprised by this? I could talk about how the National Organization for Marriage insulted adoptive parents of all types (including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts) as well as same-sex parents. Again: It’s NOM. Are we surprised? But the next couple of weeks are going to be full of perturbing marriage- and parenting-related news, I’m sure, as the U.S. Supreme Court gets set to hear two marriage equality cases on March 26. I’ve chosen, therefore, to highlight some of the positive news of the week for LGBT families. Have a great weekend, all!
A new study from the U.K. found that gay and lesbian adoptive families are as successful as straight ones—another piece of “we could have told you that” research, perhaps, but nevertheless invaluable for convincing those who need further convincing about these things.
