Everybody can agree that different controversial issues concerning the diverse society that we live in are increasing continually. At the same time, our views and believes on those issues are changing. Years ago, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal. People considered those relationships as immoral and wrong. Today, most people realize how ludicrous this idea was. Now, interracial marriages are normal and understandable by most societies. People have understood that whether she or he is black, white or yellow, it does not have any impact on their love. Similarly, nobody would think thirty years ago that the law may allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt. Today, lesbian and gay parenting is one of the most controversial issues in the USA. People are continually discussing whether same-sex couples deserve to be parents.

Even though most people can easily see that a person’s sexual preference and his or her parenting abilities are two completely separate issues, it seems that those who think so are indeed a minority. Many people say that legalization of adoption by homosexuals is a “sick” idea. Some people are not sure which side they

According to ALCU, children show remarkable resiliency, especially if they are provided with a stable and loving home environment. All the researches that ALCU conducted have reached the same unequivocal conclusion about gay parenting: the children of lesbian and gay parents grow up successfully as the children of heterosexual parents (screen 3). Therefore, we can ask ourselves if the quality of parenting a child receives is not more important than a biological connection or the gender of a parent?

Unfortunately, it seems that it will take quite a while before all gay and lesbian couples who want and are eligible for adoption are able to realize their dreams. For some, it will take years; for others, it will never happen. In the meantime, if something is not done quickly, thousands of children who might have grown up with a sense of stability, being loved and cared for by two people who love each other, will be, instead, barely cared for as they are shifted from foster home to foster home, never realizing the chance to find happiness. Let’s hope that in a few years, same-sex adoption will be as normal as interracial relationships are today.

The states are as divided on same-sex adoption as the citizens of our country seem to be. When the 1997 Florida law prohibited gays and lesbians from adopting, Michael Adams, a staff attorney for the ACLU’s national Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, said, “This is a disappointing decision that fails to take to heart the best interest of children. Thousands of children without a family in Florida will have to wait for another day when this law no longer stands between them and loving parents” (“ Judge Upholds Florida’s Ban On Lesbian And Gay Adoptions”). However, according to the ACLU, many states have moved to safeguard the interest of children with gay or lesbian parents. For example, at least 21 states have granted second-parent adoptions to lesbian and gay couples, ensuring that their children can enjoy the benefits of having two legal parents, especially if one of the parents dies or becomes incapacitated (screen 2). Using “the best interest of the child” standard, more than 22 states have permitted lesbians and gay men to adopt either through state-run or private adoption agencies. They include Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia (“ Judge Upholds Florida’s Ban On Lesbian And Gay Adoptions”).

In 1997 New Jersey became the first state to explicitly allow lesbian and gay couple to adopt children jointly, just as married couples do. The state agreed to change its policy after Holden, Galluccio and a group of 200 other gay couples brought a lawsuit arguing that New Jersey’s no-gay-couples rule violated both state law and their right to equal protection. Previously, gays in New Jersey only could adopt as individuals, forcing couples to undertake the lengthy and expensive adoption process twice. Now, all unmarried couples, gay and straight, can adopt (Cloud 106). Texas opened adoptions to gays and lesbians because they were willing to parent HIV positive and drug-exposed children (Castellucci, par. 3). This fact gives us a lot to think. It is obvious that if a family decides to adopt a child, parents want to have a healthy not an incurably ill child. I believe that it is a noble act that requires a lot of sacrifice.

One of those couples that decided for this act is Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau. Steve, 41, and Roger, 43, adopted five children with HIV-positive at birth, two of them later died of AIDS. Steven and Roger try to create a real home for their children. Steve is the at-home dad, getting the children ready to school and taking them to swimming lessons and other activities. H

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