Debate: Should Gay Couples Be Allowed To Adopt?
SOUTHFIELD (Talk Radio 1270) - They all say they want what's best for the children.
A federal judge is expected to rule next week if a lesbian couple can adopt a child. As he considers the case, Judge Bernard Friedman on Thursday encouraged two Detroit-area lesbians who are raising three children to file a legal challenge to Michigan ban on gay marriage.
As it stands, the Michigan Constitution bans same-sex marriage, and a separate law bans adoption by unmarried couples. The couple, together 10 years, now has eight days to amend their lawsuit.
With the court battle temporarily on hold, opposing sides faced off Friday morning during a round-table discussion with Talk Radio 1270 host Charlie Langton.
Hear the discussion:
The lawsuit is led by April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, who joined Charlie in the studio along with their attorney, Dana Nessel, each have adopted children on their own, but they'd like to adopt the kids as a couple – an option only for heterosexual married couples.
Talking on Charlie's show, DeBoer and Rowse, who are both nurses, said they plan to continue to raise the kids together, regardless of the outcome of this case, but they're worried about what might happen to their kids if one them were to pass away.
"The protections there for children are not there for our children," said Rowse.
Added DeBoer, "All we're asking for is for our children to have the right to two parents -- that's all we're asking."
Also on the show was Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, and a former candidate for U.S. Senate, who is against same-sex couples adopting children.
He said it's a matter of social science as well as a matter of right and wrong.
"There's no question that these two ladies ... are no doubt capable of providing care and love to children. But, in this situation -- and remember that the children are in this situation through no decision of their own ... are in a situation in which they are intentionally denied the impact of ... in this case a father, and, if it were two men, they would be intentionally denied the benefit of having a mother," said Glenn.
"Healthy development of a human child requires having the role model and the care of a mother and a father," said Glenn. "It shouldn't be the emotional needs of adults that drives the public policy. It's up to the adults to make sure we act in the best interest of the children."
Nessel said that's flat-out incorrect -- stating that "being a good parent doesn't depend on whether you have a vagina or a penis."
"In fact I'm holding in my hands right now a position statement that was done by the American Psychiatric Association ... a very well-respected psychiatric association, which ... specifically states that children are just as well off with a same-sex couple than they are with a differently sexed couple and that emotionally, cognitively, socially, in every way, shape in form, the children of same-sex parents raised in a same-sex environment thrive just as much as they would if they were raised by heterosexual parents."
"The studies say as long as they are two individuals that are in a loving, stable relationship, it doesn't matter if it's two women, two men or a woman and a man," she said. "There's not a line of people who want to adopt these kids and my clients are wonderful people who stepped in to care for these kids ... even though they're the ones who, every single day are taking these kids to their doctor's appointment and loving them and nurturing them and kissing them goodnight every single night, but people like you (Gary Glen) step in and they say that that is somehow wrong."
Caller Nick, from Detroit, also took issue with Glenn's argument -- saying, based on Glenn's statements, he clearly doesn't want single women to be allowed to adopt either. "I think Mr. Glen should go home and formulate a cohesive and cogent argument that has some basis in fact," he added.
Caller Leroy, from Detroit, said he believe it's better that abandoned children remain parent-less rather than being adopted and raised by a gay couple.
"It's easy to take an isolated incident and say this is our example, but the reality is a lot of those kids that come from those gay, especially those lesbian relationships, have a lot of behavioral problems in school, they act out, and they cause a lot of disturbances," he said. "This is nothin' to toy with ... because even if, like that woman said, let's say nobody wants them (the kids) -- sometimes it's better to be in no relationship than to be in a relationship like that, because what you're telling them is that this same-sex relationship is OK."
What do you think? Comment below.
