If an adoption agency doesn’t ban gay couples from adopting children, but instead only gives straight couples preference ahead of gay couples, is that really discrimination? Well, if grass is green and Clay Aiken plays for our team …
Then yes, of course it’s discrimination.
Butler County Children Services in Ohio says its policy isn’t discriminatory, and is just based on research. “Data-wise,” says director Michael Fox, “and there’s tons of it, kids do better in families when there is a traditional married couple.”
The new policy doesn’t mean the agency won’t use single parents or same-sex couples, Fox said. In fact, he said, the agency usually gives preference to unmarried Butler County foster parents over out-of-county residents, and gives preference to whoever has been taking care of a child in adoption proceedings.
“Without exception, the best interest of the child trumps,” Fox said.
And in at least one instance, the Children Services unit did grant two gay dads adoption rights. Michael and Andrew are the proud parents of 2-year-old Grace because Fox’s agency approved their upgrade from foster to adoptive parents. Even still, Michael is incensed.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
But Michael said he takes it personally, and says it is discrimination. “We will not be contacted until every other avenue has been exhausted,” he said.
Michael said he and his partner became foster and adoptive parents two years ago and have had one foster child in addition to their adopted daughter. But despite complaining about children needing foster parents, the agency hasn’t placed a child there since September 2007, he said.
Raphael
Only a moron could argue that it’s not discrimination.
Leanne
michael fox should do a bit more research. data-wise, gay and lesbian parents have never been shown to be worse parents than straight parents. there’s plenty of data that shows gay and lesbian parents and exemplary parents — in fact, nanette gartrell’s study of lesbian parents has shown less evidence of abuse in families with two moms instead of a mom and a dad. here’s the research that study has published so far http://www.nllfs.org/publications/index.htm
Nick
Where’s CraigSauer?
petted
Seems odd that they”re good enough to adopt a child but now they’re not good enough to be used as foster parents
RichardR
This Director Michael Fox person needs to be disabused of the false information his spreading. Data such as Leane sited above shows him to be exactly, precisely oppositely in error when he refers to “tons” of research supporting his discrimination. A simple google, something like [parenting outcomes gay couples] quickly gives you both the bigot-prepared-for-bigot data and the real stuff, which shows that kids’ outcomes are similar in same-sex and opposite sex households — except, and I love this — children of gay parents are more creative and more tolerant. And those certainly are a couple of qualities we should be discouraging, right Michael?
Best of luck and every encouragement to the gay dads as they continue their wonderful effort on behalf of parent-less children.
Timothy
Studies show that married parents do better than single parents. But where the policy is homophobic is that is automatically assumes that gay persons are always a single parent. So in their heterosexist world view, they don’t see a gay couple, they just see a single person and some other total legal stranger that is tagging along and yes, studies show that married persons are better parents than singles.
When compared to same-sex COUPLES, however, studies show no difference.
Leanne
What Timothy said! … most agencies don’t *see* married gay/lesbian couples. They wouldn’t see, for example, that my wife and I have been together for 12 years, married 3 times because we really want to be married to each other, and have as much stability and commitment as any other married (legally or not) couple! That’s what Mr Michael Fox needs to see better.
Phoenix (You Know Which One)
@ Raphael,
The operative word here is “moron”.
HYHYBT
I could see maybe using such a policy as a *tiebreaker*, if you have two otherwise equivalent couples wanting to adopt and only one child available… but when does that ever come up, really?
jalter
It is not just this agency. My friends in California have been working with a “gay friendly” agency for over a year. Every time a child appears to be a good fit, the child has been placed with a straight couple first. The gay couple is a fallback if the straight couples do not work out. They are so discouraged.
The issue is not so much with the agency as it is with various county social workers who have alot of authority on making a judgement on the best interests of the child. They have said, without irony, that THEY do not discriminate in placement, but that placing a child with a gay family will expose the child to discrimination from other parts of society. So, they must favor the straight family, all else equal.
The only LGBT couples that I know that have not faced this type of discrimination are those with the money to pay for a private adoption.
Terri L Hale
@Leanne: But the BIBLE says, adam and eve not steve. I am sorry, but it ain’t right.
What should you tell the child, when he/she says. “where’s my mommy?”. Come on…