Gay marriage means NO adoptions now, rather than adoptions for all
Certain people debate the niceties of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt, in the wake of the ‘civil unions’ law.
But it’s now looking like far from making adoption possible for gay couples, that law has made it impossible for any couple to adopt.
The only adoption market, so to speak, still freely open to Maltese would-be parents was, until last week, Russia.
But Russia is not into gay couples, gay unions or gay marriage (an understatement) and has been busy blocking adoption applications from jurisdictions which permit same-sex marriage.
When same-sex marriage became law in Malta, Maltese couples who have procedures pending to adopt a Russian child suddenly found that those procedures were suspended.
The Malta Independent has the story (link below).
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http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-10-28/news/gay-marriage-bill-halts-adoptions-from-russia-3015737345/
And apparently, selling passports means problems with visas from certain little, insignificant places like America. So far.
Russia features here as well:
“Henley was already making presentations in Russian which said that holding a Maltese passport meant visa-free travel to the USA.”
and
“Henley would be receiving €140,000 commission for every application received plus €100,000 from each applicant.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/view/20131028/…/sale-of-citizenship.4923...
Henley can charge such astronomical fees because the government is giving them the monopoly over this scheme. Every single professional in the industry stands to lose and can only get a part of the action if Henley accepts them as an agent and they hand over their clients to Henley, running the risk that Henley poach their clients for other services too.
So Henley get all the profile, get the lion’s share of the action since they are the SOLE concessionaire and get to sweep up all the crumbs too since the only way others can participate is through them.
Adopting a child is not a right, rather, it’s a child’s right to be adopted into a good family.
Although I’m all for civil unions for gay couples, I do not believe they offer the best environment for a child to grow up in, notwithstanding all the love and care they may be able to provide.
Some argue that there are studies that refute that children growing up with gay parents turn out gay themselves. However there are other studies which claim that there is in fact a link, so why risk a child’s well being?
There is nothing wrong with being gay, but I think we all agree that it’s much harder being a gay person than a straight person. Coming to terms that one is gay already requires plenty of soul-searching and self-acceptance, let alone living in a world where there’s still a lot of prejudice against gay people.
@Natalie
“it’s much harder being a gay person than a straight person” simply because of people like you, whom, knowingly or unknowingly, state something like “so why risk a child’s well being?”
Risk a child’s well being? Because if the child turns out to be gay, his well being is only jeopardized by close minded individuals who refuse to “accept” and understand that being gay is as normal as them being straight.
And the point of this article is? Let’s not introduce civil union (which should be marriage to begin with) because a few families had their adoption application frozen from Russia?
Natalie, perhaps this is not the platform for this debate, however I just feel it is best to point out that many scientific studies, which have been carried out over the past few decades, prove beyond doubt that children raised by same sex couples grow up to be normal healthy adults right across the board, that same sex couples provide a very loving environment for their children and are perfectly capable of bringing them up as well as any heterosexual couple.
If you wish to read more on the subject please do so in the following links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_parenting
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/20/gay-parenting-emma-brockes
Thanks, I will check them out.
I want to emphasise again though, that I’m certain that a homosexual couple is equally able to love and care for a child as any heterosexual couple.
I’m just unsure whether this will have any effect on the sexual orientation of the child. I think we need more data and personally I need to be more informed about the subject.
Agreed, look here:
http://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/parenting-issues/homosexual-parenting-is-it-time-for-change
RJC, the American College of Pediatricians (estimated membership of 60 to 200) whose page you linked to, were created by a few conservative paediatricians who were at odds with the majority of paediatricians, with the respected American Academy of Pediatrics (60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas), and other medical and child welfare authorities.
You’ll also find that they support selective parental use of corporal punishment and abstinence-based sex education in place of a comprehensive sex education. They also believe in reparative therapy, so the next time you feel like enlightening us, try choosing something other than propaganda from a bunch of nincompoop fundamentalists.
Agreed Nathalie, I totally support gay marriage, and I cannot stand it when politicians try to hide it behind any other name, but until such time as the enormous prejudices will exist, adoption by gay couples needs to be put on hold.
Would it be fair to the child to subject him to these same prejudices as well as bullying problems which result from being the child of a gay couple.
I realize that there are reports galore to support such adoption etc etc but I truly believe that in practical terms the child would be facing unnecessary hurdles, and might wake up one day and say to himself/herself, “hey what right did anyone have, to have me adopted by a gay couple?”
Ultimately shouldn’t we be looking after the child’s rights?
The usual response is “yes, but isn’t it better to have the loving care of a gay couple than none at all?” Valid point, but there are enough straight parents out there willing to adopt that I do not think it urgent at this stage to promote gay adoptions.
I fully agree with gay marriage or civil partnerships in principle. However the rush in which this law was passed, and the sheer laziness of cross referral which is a matter of concern for everyone, including gay couples themselves. The proposed law, as is now, is riddled with anomalies which are yet to be discovered. Also, because it was not implemented in a staged process, society did not have any time to adapt and see what has happened to those who already started the adoption process in Russia.
My reaction when I realised this would happen: Hallihom ha jghaffgu.
Why shouldn`t these couples try to adopt Maltese children?
[Daphne – Why do you think? There have been no Maltese children up for adoption for around 40 years now, except for one here and there.]
Get the “rich people” days the frog, who cares about homeless kids…
Same sex couples can have all the right to marry, if they so wish. But there is no ‘right’ to adopt.
There is only the ‘right’ for every child to have a caring loving family who
Being gay doesn’t automatically mean they can adopt, they should remove that smirk from their faces and stop behaving like smarty pants.
These are children we are talking about.
Good for Russia!
For the archaic laws they’re introducing?
Russia could simply refuse the request of same-sex couples and should not punish the traditional couples.
With adoption, one has to keep in mind that this is not a matter of money, emotions and giving a home to a child. ( I hear write with a good personal insight into the local adoption process)
Adoption is about the child not the desiring couple. And most importantly, It’s the child’s country which makes the rules and not the applicants country. The applicant is not making a favour to the child and country of origin either. It’s in fact the child’s country of origin which is accepting to give the applicant a child to take care off, it’s their prerogative, they are giving you the most precious of gifts, a child to cherish.
In the case of Russia, in order to ensure the safe future of its children placed in adoption, it asks the applicants for detailed personal information. Including medical tests ranging from ecologist, neurologist, psychologist &physiatrists, financial assessments, verifications from lawyers, notaries and local government. Then translated and again verified by local embassy. Hence the high cost of adoption. This besides the adoption course and home assessment one needs to undertake before applying. An arduous task indeed.
So you see we could postulate, argue, go on xarabank, cry emotionally about homosexual rights to have a family, but when it comes to adoption it’s not the local LGBD group which dictates but rather the child’s country.
In the case of the only country presently open for adoption to Maltese citizens , Russia, if we change our civil marriage/union laws with homosexual couples can adopt a child, Russia will stop all adoptions to any Maltese applicant, homo or heterosexual. Bil-malti – ma ikollhomx pjacir Binha iktar, kollha.
Further reading
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/russia-adoptions-sweden-gay-parents_n_4045252.html
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/07/04/312169/russia-bans-adoption-by-gay-couples/
October 8th, 2013
A Married Mom and Dad Really Do Matter: New Evidence from Canada
“A new academic study based on the Canadian census suggests that a married mom and dad matter for children. Children of same-sex coupled households do not fare as well.”
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2013/10/10996/