The Number Of Gays Adopting has Triple } Eventually Sexuality Will not Play a Role In Adoptions
(Bella Baby Photography) About 21,740 same-sex couples had adopted children in 2009, up from 6,477 in 2000, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. About 32,571 adopted children were living with same-sex couples in 2009, up from 8,310 in 2000. The figures are an analysis of newly released Census Bureau estimates.
According to a widely circulated report from the the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, the number of gays and lesbians adopting children has nearly tripled in the last decade:
The New York-based Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute released a report Thursday culminating a four-year project surveying 158 gay and lesbian parents and their experience with the adoption process. Their researchers found the highest number of homosexuals adopted children from Massachusetts, California, New York and Texas.
That’s encouraging news — for so many reasons. It means that maybe, hopefully, possibly someday soon those children won’t worry about being teased or be pointed out in statistics in a national newspaper. They’ll just be adopted. The end. They’ll just be kids with two dads or two moms or one of each or just one. And it won’t matter much to anyone.
It means that Emerson, maybe before he enters middle school, will have friends with families that look very much like his own. That he, and we, won’t have to take that extra time explaining things. I worry about that. Not every day, but I do. What will he ask when he’s older? What will his friends say? What will his teachers do?
I’m surprised, and happy, to say that I already know more gay couples with adopted children than I ever expected to. It makes me proud to be part of such an exclusive group. But it’s even more encouraging to see that circle slowly expanding.
More than all those things, however, I await the day when adoption or marriage won’t be qualified with “gay” or “same-sex.” I don’t think in those terms. Most of the people I know don’t think in those terms. Because that would just be weird:
“Oh, me? My day was great! I had a great gay breakfast and put my gay clothes on and had a big, gay cup of coffee at Starbucks. How about you? Did you end up taking your straight car to be washed, or did you waste time watching your straight flatscreen TV?”
Pretty silly —
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