adoption

A recent blog post reminded me of a related topic that I've been meaning to blog about previously - gay adoption. I find it absolutely repulsive that gay people - single or as a couple - can be denied the right to adopt children. I know that the opponents say that it's "damaging" to the child (which I do not believe at ALL, but bear with me for the sake of argument), but really?? More damaging than what? Than being shuffled around foster homes? Worse than being given $250 (or something paltry like that) at the age of 18 and released out of the system without so much as a glance? More damaging than being separated from your siblings? Seriously. If someone wants to give a child a forever home and a forever family (and of course isn't abusive or an escaped convict or something), isn't that better even if there were some sort of mystical side effects from being raised by gay parents? (and as a side note: I know that there are many, many wonderful, caring people in the foster care system and I don't at all mean this as a knock to them, but I do believe there is a big difference to a child when it comes to foster care and adoption.) Like it was said in the blog post that inspired this one - gay people are just people. That's all that should be looked at.

And I have to say, on a slightly different but somewhat related note, I can't remember when I've ever been more proud of A than the other day when she was watching Paula Deen (her favorite food network star) and the Neely family (black couple) had a guest spot on the show. A asked us who the lady was with the black hair. Not the black lady, not the lady with the black skin, just the black hair. It never even occurred to her that skin color was a distinguishing factor. I know it won't always be that way, she'll go to school and other kids will have different influences, but P and I will do everything in our power to ensure that she has the utmost respect for her fellow human beings, regardless of physical, lifestyle or other misc. characteristics.