Freeway - Homosexual adaptions

Should homosexuals have the right to adopt?

There are many different opinions on whether homosexuals should have the right to adopt. It is a very hard question to answer. Today it’s said that about 40000 kids in Sweden live with homosexual parents. But some people says that there are only 53 kids who live with homosexuals in registered partnerships. There are four different types of homosexuals that want to adopt

Those who want to adopt their partner’s child.
Single homosexuals.
Homosexual couples who want to adopt Swedish kids.
Homosexual couples who want to adopt kids from other countries.

Sweden has got the partnership law since 1995. Homosexuals are not allowed to adopt cildren, yet. Not even lesbians may use artificial insemination. If you compare Sweden to other European countries they are on the same level when it comes to that. Denmark has opened a clinic where midwives inseminate lesbians. They hope that Swedish lesbians also will come there.

Investigation proceed

In April 1999 Sweden elected a committee that shall investigate the question "if children should be adopted in homosexual families. There are 26 persons who are to examine the situation kids with homosexual parents have. Then they will decide if homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. If they decide that the rules will be changed, the rules for artificial insemination are also going to be looked over. The investigation shall be finished in January 2001. Many think that they will approve adoption of step-children.

Different opinions

Yes

The thousands of kids that grow up with homosexuals should have the same social rights as kids of heterosexuals. They have the right to have two parents, even if they happen to have the same genitals.

Being a good parent has nothing to do with your sexual disposition. Homosexuals should be tried as adoptive parents in the same way heterosexuals are.

Homosexuals can from their own experience understand and support their child more easily in what it implies to be adopted.

No

Children need a safe childhood and adolescence, and aren’t sure that they will get that if they have homosexual parents. There is a great chance that they will be bullied because of that, and have difficulties in finding friends.

It’s not a matter of homosexual rights, but of showing consideration for the adopted child.

Society has got to protect those kids more than other kids, and listen to what they have to say.

Many kids often have some problems with their identity in their puberty, and then they need a mum and a dad to identify themselves with.

Abandoned children from poor parts of the world can’t be used to solve problems in Sweden.

Examination at the school

We have asked two qustions to 50 persons at our school. 40 students and 10 teachers.

Questions:

Do you think that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt?
Does it make any difference if it’s men or women who want to adopt?

Answers:

At this question, 75% of all the students we asked said no. The reasons were that the kids would have to suffer. Some just thought it was wrong, and some thought it was disgusting. 50% of the teacher didn’t know what they thought, but 30% said yes and 20% said no. The reasons they had were that there already exist many strange parents, and they also thought that it’s the kids that get the trouble.
The majority of the students, 95%, said no to this question, but 5% said yes. They thought that the children need a mother figure to look up to when they grow up. The teachers had almost the same response, 90% said that it didn’t matter if they were men or women. And 10% said that it was easier to grow up with two women.

Interwiew with a homosexual man

We have made an interwiew with a homosexual man. He wants to be anonymous so we won’t write his name.

Age? 21 years, soon 22.
Boy/girlfriend? My boyfriend and I broke up last week so now I’m single.
When did you realize you were homosexual? It was when I was sixteen years old. All my friends looked at good-looking girls, and I never felt interest in them. At first I thought that it depended on the fact that I never found the right girl, but after a while I understood I was gay.
Whats your opinion about homosexual rights to adopt? I think that they shall have equal rights to adopt as heterosexuals. I don’t understand the reason why they are better parents than us. There are lots of single mothers and fathers that raise their children on their own. I don’t understand why we wouldn’t be able to raise kids.
Would you like to have childrens some day? Yes I would. If I find the right person to parenthood with.

Do you think homosexuals should be allowed to adopt?

© 1999 Freeway
Writers: Pia Björlingh (sp01-06@park.se), Susanna Pusa (sp01-52@park.se).
HTML by: Calle Grundberg (nv01-01@park.se).
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