As of 1990, 6 to 14 million children have a homosexual parent and near 10 million children are being brought up in a homosexual household. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), estimates that ten percent of the U.S. population, nearly 30 million individuals, are homosexuals. As a result, today gay people are being considered seriously as prospective adoptive parents.

On the other hand, despite the increasing number of homosexual men and women, gay couples face serious challenges as adoptive parents. In some States, adoption by unmarried couples is not allowed. Hence, homosexual couples are automatically banned from adopting rights as same-sex marriage is not allowed in the majority of the States. In addition, mainly in Florida and Missouri, homosexuals are banned from foster care and/or adoption by explicit discriminatory acts. In these States, joint adoption or second parent adoption are not allowed.

In the States that gay adoption is allowed, same-sex couples may adopt children jointly and hence both parents are legal from the very beginning. In addition, single homosexuals may adopt children through adopting agencies. Family formation laws vary from State to State and hence gay adoptions endure multiple complications. However, gay couples that would love to adopt jointly should do their research and find a lawyer who would be familiar with the latest updates on gay adoption rights.

Regardless of which side one stands, it is a fact that modern society has reservations on considering same-sex couples as adoptive parents. Parenting needs to provide stability in order to raise emotionally and mentally healthy children. In this context, social workers and heterosexual people consider that this stability can only be the fruit of a heterosexual couple because heterosexuals can provide clear role models: male for father, female for mother.

Social science has proven that children are more likely to thrive in married, heterosexual families than in homosexual households. On the other hand, there are no comprehensive studies proving that children who are raised in a homosexual household are more likely to become gay. However, adopting agencies express a concern on the sexual orientation of children who have been adopted by gay couples.

To my view, this has more to do with considering homosexuality a statement of cultural diversity rather than a natural tendency. So, the major question that arises on behalf of adopting agencies is why using children to make a cultural assertion.

Another major concern is how other people, and mostly other children, treat a child adopted by a same-sex couple. Children can be very cruel when they face a family model that is completely different than what they experience at home. It is a huge step for a child to stand up at school and say he or she has two dads or two moms. But, it’s also a huge step for other children to accept this child as equal and, most importantly, as “normal”. If a child is brought up in a household that considers gays perverted and not religious, it is extremely difficult for this child to accept that a classmate has gay parents. Children react so aggressively to such cases that it, often, becomes impossible for the adopted child to go to the same school again. Therefore, an extremely important consideration is how the gay parents will explain to their child their reality without causing feelings of low self-esteem as a result of denial at school.

In any event, gay adoption requires a lot of support. Considering that there are many heterosexual parents, who abuse their children and behave inappropriately, society should be more tolerant to gay adoption. Although they face so many complications, same-sex couples are willing to adopt. Hence, they should be treated more flexibly and with less concern. If they decide to adopt it means they really want to be parents. And any child deserves a better life than be abandoned in the orphanage or in the street.