Gay Couples’ Right to Adopt in the 21st Century

Gay Couples’ Right to Adopt in the 21^st Century

Nowadays, homosexuality and also these people’s rights are a debuted issue. Most frequently, it is questioning in this topic whether law should allow parents from the same gender to adopt and raise a child as it is considered to be unnatural and usually problematic if one examines the psychological development of a child.  Moreover, homosexuality is one of the most disputed phenomenon with its divisive power among a society so gay couples’ rights have been in a continuous change that people have to realize and accept. I believe that adoption for gay couples should be allowed and ensured by law as people have the basic human right to be treated equally.

On the other hand, the discrimination that appears in this case raises the question whether people can talk about equality which is officially determined as:”The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities”. Evidently, homosexuality is not the part of this ‘category’ due to the lack of rights to get married or the lack of opportunity to live without any kind of segregation. In many countries gay people are not supported or protected by any laws and without it everybody has the right to treat them according to their best beliefs. However, there have been several measures to extend and support federal legal protections for homosexual couples in certain countries and in the USA since the 21st century. As the act, which defined marriage as a union between man and woman, was repealed in 2013, the government of the USA started to recognize same-sex marriage and other marriage programs and laws (Barnes no pag.). Moreover, same-sex marriage became legal in 19 states and with the Employment Nondiscrimination Act homosexuals are also protected from any kind of discriminative treatment in their workplace, which means that equal opportunities have started to develop (O’Keefe no pag).

At the same time, homosexuality is also the target of some rancorous people. It is our society that mainly generates the hatred and doubts against gay people, therefore through a legal process should be ensured their rights that they are equally entitled to have. Similarly, adoption is a process through one can have a child and also have the opportunity to raise one. As it is supervised by law there is no need to discriminate any couple just on the basis of sexual orientation.  They should be treated as equal to the other applicants and in the same way the general and financial background of gay couples should be supervised not their sexual orientation.

In conclusion, I believe that nowadays the term: “separate but equal” has also the significance and meaning and it is relevant in the case of homosexuality. In 1896 Homer Plessy was arrested for traveling in a train reserved for only white people in New Orleans, Louisiana. Being a man of mixed race, he was treated separately along with blacks but he stood up for their civil rights (Duignan no pag.). Even if Plessy was convicted and sentenced to pay fine, the question of the interpretation of equality not just remained unsolved but raised further controversies. The court’s term: “separate but equal” became the motto of the issue and it has appeared many times since 1896.  These two expressions will go hand in hand as long as people learn not to judge others on the bases of their diversity or a law is ordered against political or any kind of other discriminations. Homosexual people have to fight for their rights and end up with the almost ancient second part of the term. As human beings they have the right to be treated equally and to make their own decisions about starting a family. Adoption should be a chance for a child for a better life not a new torture for a homosexual for gaining their basic rights.

Works Cited

Foner, Eric and Garraty, A. John. The Reader’s Companion to American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1991

Duignan, Brian. “Plessy v. Fergusson”
Britannica, www.britannica.com/event/Plessy-v-Fergusson

Reilly, Mollie.” Same-Sex Couples can Now Adopt Children In All 50 States”
huffingtonpost, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mississippi-same-sex-adoption_us_56fdb1a3e4b083f5c607567f

Barnes, Robert. “Supreme Court strikes down key part of Defense of Marriage Act”
Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court/2013/06/26/f0039814-d9ab-11e2-a016-92547bf094cc_story.html

O’Keefe, Ed. “The Fix - ENDA, explained”
Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/11/04/what-is-the-employment-non-discrimination-act-enda/?utm_term=.c7856a0ff976