Adoption -- And Misconceptions

This Dear Abby tries to tackle some of the prevailing misconceptions associated with gay men and lesbians adopting.

Gay men are child molestors

[according to an article published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1994] "Most child abuse appears to be committed by situational child abusers who present themselves as heterosexuals."

Children raised by gay men will be gay too

[from the same article] "Children raised in gay or lesbian households do not show any greater incidence of homosexuality or gender identity issues than other children."

She goes on to say:

Further, according to the American Psychological Association, "there is no evidence to suggest that lesbians or gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial development among children of gay men and lesbians is compromised in any respect relevant to that among offspring of heterosexual parents. -- Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children's psychosocial growth."

I think her response is somewhat weak, and she also failed to touch on one significant topic: the stigma often placed on children being raised by gay or lesbian parents. In school, they are often treated as badly as those who actually identify as being gay or those labeled gay because of their appearance or mannerisms. In this litigious age of political correctness, educators are being forced to deal with this kind of harassment and bullying, but it will never go away. Unfortunately, the attitudes and belief systems that engender these behaviors are too firmly entrenched: change and acceptance is impossible.

More's the pity...