Argumentative Paper on Same-Sex Marriage & Adoption - ENGL 1100.08

This essay examines the contentious topic of same-sex marriage and adoption, addressing the social stigmas, religious views, and concerns about the competency of same-sex couples as parents. It discusses the historical perspectives and evolving attitudes towards homosexual parenting, referencing studies and statistics on public opinion and the well-being of children raised in same-sex households. The essay also explores arguments both for and against same-sex adoption, considering religious values, the nurturing capabilities of same-sex couples, and the potential impact on a child's gender identity and social development. Ultimately, the essay concludes that while societal acceptance is growing, questions about competency often stem from prejudice rather than factual evidence, highlighting the need for continued progress in recognizing and supporting same-sex families.

Running head: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND ADOPTION
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND ADOPTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Same-sex marriage have been the centre of controversy for a long time. It has always
been seen as a cultural and social mark which was not acceptable to the people of the society.
Even though there have been several marches and laws which were passed in favour of same
sex marriage, in the minds of the people it was an unnatural and unacceptable phenomenon
(McCutcheon & Morrison, 2015). Another thing which was looked down upon was the
adoption of children by couples of the same sex. Their effectiveness in taking care of the
child have been a matter of doubt for many people.
According to Gato and Fontaine (2013) there not many studies which focused on the
parenting abilities of same-sex couples, however, there were many studies which dealt about
the attitudes of the society towards such couples and parents. According to the author, same-
sex parents were seen as less competent as compared to heterosexual parents. The research
shows that there existed a high level of problematic behaviour towards the children with
homosexual parents and this affected the psychological development of the child. Moreover,
there have been concerns regarding the understanding of the child’s own gender when raised
by homosexual parents. For example, a boy who is raised by two gay parents is said to have a
confusion about his own sexual orientation at a later stage, however, there have been no
proven statistics regarding the same. Whitehead and Perry (2016) further state that religious
views play a great role in the adoption by same-sex couples. It has been seen that people who
are more acceptable to same-sex marriage as well as adoption by homosexual couples are
young and less religious in their views. The research shows that people who practice religion
in a regular manner and read the Bible everyday oppose to the idea of same-sex adoption and
people who believe that the Bible is a book which contains legend and history are more
supportive to the idea of same-sex adoption.
Gato and Fontaine (2016) highlights the attitude of people towards same-sex adoption
in Portugal. The country viewed homosexual parenting as a sin and thought of it as an

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abnormal phenomenon. The people of the country felt that homosexual parenting would lead
to the abandonment of the best interests of the children and deprive them of the perfect way
to grow up and perceive a role model of the appropriate gender. Similar to the other
researches, this article also confirms that the people feels that raising a child by homosexual
parents would lead the child to become confused about their own gender and hence they
would become lesbians or gay themselves at the later stage. Moreover, homosexual parenting
would lead to the child being bullied for majority of their lives which could create a mental
pressure on the student. There have also been several stereotypes which views gay men as
less competent in parenting than lesbian parents since they are viewed to be not capable of
nurturing the children in the right manner as women. As stated by Takács and Szalma (2013)
the opposition of same-sex adoption could also be a result of homophobia all around the
world, where people have a fear of same-sex couples and see them as an unnatural aspect of
the world. In the United Stated, same-sex parenting is much more accepted in current times
due to the belief that gender does not play a major role in the parenting of children, and what
matters is the care of the parents towards their child. This has seen a rise in the number of
homosexual parents in the last few years.
Figure 1: Household with children in the United States
(Source: Williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu, 2018)

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Figure 2: Homosexual parents with children under the age of 18
(Source: Williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu, 2018)
Posner (2015) in their article stated that homosexual couples should not be allowed
without understanding the implications of the adoption on the child and their sexual
orientation. The author states that homosexual couples should not be given the same rights of
parenting as heterosexual parents since it could end up to be problematic and create a
negative impact on the upbringing of the children. However, Perry and Whitehead (2015)
argued that despite there being many controversies to the aspect of homosexual parenting and
the narrow-mindness of the society towards such couples, there were various reasons for
supporting same-sex adoption. Firstly, in the aspects of religion and Christianity, adoption is
highly valued since the Bible states to look after the orphans and give home to the fatherless.
Therefore, adoption can be seen as a rescue mechanism for the ignored children and can be
viewed as a better way to give them homes. This is why adoption of children even by same-
sex couples should be valued by the religious fanatics, who otherwise oppose the concept of
homosexual adoption. Secondly, sine homosexual couples would not be able to bear children
of their own it could help them to fulfil their wish of having a children. Irrespective of the

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gender of the parents, whether gay or lesbian, humans in general have a nurturing quality
within themselves, more so in homosexual couples. Therefore, it would be helpful for the
children growing in such households as they would be cared for in the best possible way.
There have also been several first hand evidence which show that homosexual couples tend to
take more care of their children as compared to heterosexual couples since they realise the
social issues that they have faced for the adoption.
With time the ideologies of people are slowly changing and this has given way to the
people to accept the view of same-sex adoption and therefore it has been much easier for
homosexual couples to adopt children (Gates, 2015). Even though there exists higher scrutiny
in such adoption as compared to homosexuals, the legal right is what makes the issue more
stable for households with same-sex couples and contribute to their wish and anticipation to
have a child of their own even through adoption. Flores (2014) shows the fact that there is a
high level of public support for the rights of adoption for homosexual couples with a
percentage of 63%. There have been changes in the attitude of the people for the concept and
a legal recognition has contributed more to it.
Figure 3: Adoption rights for same-sex couples in public opinion

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(Source: Flores, 2014)
Hence, it can be concluded that there have been many controversies regarding same-
sex adoption and questions have been raised on the competency of the couples to raise the
children in the right manner. Even though there is no direct denial which can be made to the
homosexual couples regarding the adoption and raising of children, there exists a social
stigma which makes it unacceptable to the people. The competency is questioned even
though there is no set specification on the part of parenting, and the view that heterosexual
couples are more able parents than homosexual couples is completely based on the view of
the people and not on any scientific or logical facts. The denial of adoption to the same-sex
couples is seen also as a part of homophobia. However, the society has seen many changes
due to the exposure and that has made them more acceptable of same-sex marriage and
adoption. Moreover, homosexual couples are acknowledged in the society in recent times and
therefore are seen as a part of the community and hence the acceptance of marriage and
adoption on their part has grown.

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References:
Flores, A. (2014). National trends in public opinion on LGBT rights in the United States.
Gates, G. J. (2015). Marriage and family: LGBT individuals and same-sex couples. The
Future of Children, 67-87.
Gato, J., & Fontaine, A. M. (2013). Anticipation of the sexual and gender development of
children adopted by same-sex couples. International Journal of Psychology, 48(3),
244-253.
Gato, J., & Fontaine, A. M. (2016). Attitudes toward adoption by same-sex couples: Effects
of gender of the participant, sexual orientation of the couple, and gender of the
child. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 12(1), 46-67.
McCutcheon, J., & Morrison, M. A. (2015). The effect of parental gender roles on students'
attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and heterosexual adoptive couples. Adoption
Quarterly, 18(2), 138-167.
Perry, S. L., & Whitehead, A. L. (2015). Same-sex adoption as a welfare alternative?
Conservatism, neoliberal values, and support for adoption by same-sex
couples. Journal of homosexuality, 62(12), 1722-1745.
Posner, R. A. (2015). Eighteen Years On: A Re-Review-The Case for Same-Sex Marriage:
From Sexual Liberty to Civilized Commitment. Yale LJ, 125, 533.
Takács, J., & Szalma, I. (2013). How to measure homophobia in an international
comparison?. Družboslovne razprave, 29(73), 11-42.

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Whitehead, A. L., & Perry, S. L. (2016). Religion and support for adoption by same-sex
couples: The relative effects of religious tradition, practices, and beliefs. Journal of
Family Issues, 37(6), 789-813.
Williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu. (2018). LGBT Parenting in the United States - Williams
Institute. Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/census-lgbt-
demographics-studies/lgbt-parenting-in-the-united-states/