Gay Adoption Or No Adoption a response to Dan Savage
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The idea of children in the foster care system strike many emotional chords but add gay adoption to the pot and things can quickly boil over. Dan Savage, a homosexual and adoptive parent, questions the Federal District Court ruling upholding a Florida law banning adoption of children by gay men and lesbians.
In "Is No Adoption Really Better Than A Gay Adoption," published on September 8th, 200a in the New York Times, Savage argues that every child has a right to a parent whether with homosexual or heterosexual people. He discusses four main reasons why Florida's law is unjust. First, Savage questions Florida's ability to justify the single heterosexual homes that adopt when the law states "that placing children in married homes is in the best interest of Florida's children". Second, Savage argues the children in Florida's foster care are "trapped" in the system and can not move to states that allow adoption by singles, homosexuals, or lesbians. Third, he states the religious right wants the debate over gay adoption to stay between the choice of gay parent or straight parents but the debate should be between "parents or no parents". Fourth, Savage examines the willingness of gay and lesbian couples to adopt children that heterosexual couples will not consider, "children with AIDS, mixed-race children, disabled children or children who have been abused or neglected". Savage concludes with a challenge to straight couples to adopt children from Florida. Although, Savage brings to light a child's best interest and the gross contradictions in Florida law, I think he "reveals his biases" in thinking that children are "trapped in the foster care system" and that only gays and lesbians adopt undesirable children...