06/14/2007
Gay Couple in Australia are Nation's First to Legally Adopt Child
A gay couple in Western Australia have become the nation's first same-sex couple to legally adopt a child. Perth's Sunday Times reports: "The adoption by the two men follows 2002 changes to the state adoption act. The changes allowed same sex couples to adopt a child, says the Department of Child Protection's Accommodation and Care Services acting executive director David Vicary. 'This was a local WA adoption and the biological parents were fully involved in the selection process for the adoptive parents,' Mr Vicary said. WA Attorney-General Jim McGinty said the adoption was groundbreaking."
Said McGinty: "The only consideration when it comes to adoption is the best interests of the child. So long as the child is in a loving, caring relationship I don't think he can ask for much more than that. In the last few weeks in Australia we've had three babies been deserted, left at churches, left at hospitals. What we need to do is have loving relationships where the parents love and care for the child. That's the only criteria that needs to be employed, not the sexual orientation of the parent."
The historic adoption has inspired an outcry from Christian and "family" groups.
Said Australian Christian Lobby managing director Jim Wallace: "We think the WA and ACT laws that allow gay adoption are dismissive of the children's rights. They are competing against thousands of people to adopt and it is making children commodities. From a Christian point of view the child is better off with a family, and a family is natural with a mother and a father.''
Gay adoption 'groundbreaking' [sunday times]
Gay adoption divides community [sunday times]
First Legal Gay Adoption In Australia [same same]
Posted 10:45 AM EST by Andy in Australia, Gay Adoption, Gay Parents, News | Permalink
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This is one of the few ways in which America is better than Oceania or Europe. In America, children with two dads or two moms is legal with a few exceptions, like Florida. There are teens here in America now growing up that were adopted by two gay men or two lesbian women as babies, so America is more progressive in adoption. In marriage, it is not.
For some reason, in America, we don't have as big of a problem with letting gays adopt babies as we do with the gays actually getting married so they can legally make a home for the babies.
Just look at the GQ picture that was posted a few days ago. I bet you that couple is not from Massachusetts.
Posted by: juliana | Jun 14, 2007 5:16:55 PM
All there is to say is congrats to the people that were able to do this and congrats to all the men and woman that are looking after and caring for youngsters that have been left by the curb to die. Most don't ask for any return or favours just that the youngsters become human beings and share what they have. Over the years I have had the great joy to share my home with little people that have gone on to become and do great things. When it was time for them to leave all I ask of them was to send a card and let me know how they are doing and that my door is always open. Two of them have return to do their master degrees. They are family. And yes some of them have their own families. Teach them to fish and they will eat for the rest of their lives.
Posted by: Dr.Pat | Jul 3, 2007 4:20:17 AM