RUNNING HEAD: lgbt adoption

LGBT adoption: a review of literature

Douglas G. Weldon
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract:
Over the past fifty years this country has vastly advanced with situations involving civil rights.
On example being lgbt adoption and all the issues that come with it. This literature review covers the
benefits of lgbt adoption, the doubts regarding lgbt adoption, and the benefits of lgbt adoption of children.
Studies have shown that most lgbt partners looking to adopt are adopting children that statistically are not
adopted otherwise.. Many were concerned for the lives of the children, expressing that it might be
difficult for these children to be raised in this type of household. Statistics have shown that kids tend to
benefit more from the lgbt lifestyle than anyone previously thought.

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Gay and same sex adoption is becoming a big part of culture in a rapid way. Throughout the years
people have been put off by the idea of same sex couples raising a child with doubts to whether or not
children could be raised in a home with same sex parents. Throught the years people have used science
and religion to come to terms with whether or not lgbt adoption should be permitted. With an alternative
state of mind the states are slowly changing in benefit for equal rights. This literature review will cover:

What are the benefits of lgbt adoption?

What doubts do people have about gay adoption?
What are the benefits for the children of lgbt adoption?
This literature review will uncover the truths about gay adoption and ultimately guide the reader to a
conclusion.
What are the benefits of lgbt adoption?

American society has made great leaps forward in the past 50 years. Continuous changes to
American lawmaking and frame of mind is causing same sex couples to venture into what used to be, and
in some cases still is, taboo. There are many preconceptions about lgbt parenting while pediatricians and
researchers alike have done their best to shed light on the truths about whether or not lgbt parenting is
sensible."Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident, compared with an almost 50 percent
accidental pregnancy rate among heterosexuals." As stated by Stephanie in a livescience article (Pappas,
2013). With a majority of same sex couples looking to become parents one can only assume that willful
parents can be beneficial to children looking to find a home. She goes on to add that as a result same sex
couples on average are more committed, and involved (papas 2013). In a separate article Dr. Siegel argues
"Research shows children thrive when there are two parents who love them and can provide a nurturing
environment for them..."(as cited by Rowen 2013).
As the results have shown lgbt parents are in fact the same and in some cases better than
heterosexual couples, when it comes down to parenting. Even in the subject of adoption, lgbt adoption
becomes more favorable because of the fact that on average kids over the age of three are less likely to be
adopted. In a video by discovery news Laci asserts that "the Evan B. Donaldson adoption institute found

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that most same sex parents are adopting children from minority races and kids who are older than three."
(Laci 2013). This can be beneficial to children waiting to be adopted in that they can have a type of
support that wasn't there before. One can conclude that a healthy and nurturing living environment can be
beneficial to a child growing up whether or not the parents are opposite sex or same sex.

figure 1: statistics on parents to kids waiting to be adopted.

retrieved April 2, 2015. from http:www.glaad.org/blog/video-allies-adoption-launches-help-foster-kidsgay-and-trans-parents

The graphic above illustrates one of the major benefits and possibly a solution to the tons of
children who have been waiting a long time to be adopted to finally find relief. Some arguments against
gay adoption include that same sex parenting could possibly be harmful to a child growing up where, as
stated by Laci, "people raised by gay or lesbian parents feel that it made them a more open and accepting
person." ( laci 2013). Another thing stated was that gender roles were a lot less enforced, children of lgbt
parents felt they could do what they wanted without feeling like what they were doing was more boy/girl
oriented. With this state of mind many adults could effectively administer willpower into their everyday

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lives. While most of American individuals would have a hard time gathering the critical thinking
necessary to succeed, lgbt children will have the correct cognitive processes. (laci 2013).

What doubts do people have about gay adoption?

One of the main doubts of lgbt parenting is that children being raised by gay parents will
themselves grow up sexually confused, but in an article by gale group it discusses that " the incidence of
homosexuality or gender confusion among their children ... Is no greater than that in the general
population." ( gale 2015). Some of the other concerns people are having pertain to a scientific aspect
rather than a moral one. When a mother has started parenthood the chemistry in the mothers brain begins
to change in order to accommodate the baby.Two men with male chemistry might lack in that aspect, as
stated by Eliana for time magazine ( Dockterman 2014).
Men in heterosexual relationships have certain parenting skills that are already hardwired into
the brain. But because these processes work through the cognitive circuits in the brain they can be altered
to adapt to certain situations. Studies are beginning to show that even though men have to compensate
under this circumstance they do just fine. Men in same sex relationships display both cognitive and
emotional activities in the brain just as much as a heterosexual mother would. Ruth Feldman states
"Fathers brains are very plastic... When there are two fathers, their brains must recruit both networks, the
emotional and the cognitive, for optimal parenting." (As cited by Dockterman 2014).

What are the benefits for the children of lgbt adoption?

A lot of the attention drawn from lgbt adoption is towards the children. Contrary to popular
belief, statistics have shown that kids are doing much better than expected. As cited by Enza Ferreri " we
found that children from same sex families scored, on average, 6% better on two key measures, general
health and family cohesion..."( cited by Ferrei 2014). Many studies have been done and many show that

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children of lgbt parents tend to do the same or better on what's considered a normal childhood. In a
livescience article it was stated " in one study...children of lesbian parents had similar levels of academic
achievement and wellbeing compared with kids of straight parents." ( Pappas 2013).
Other statistics show that even when growing up the children of lgbt parents find life a bit easier.
Karen rowen in a livescience article regarding a study on teenagers of lgbt parents compared to teenagers
of heterosexual parents, " researchers found no differences in measures of self esteem, depression, anxiety
and school success, according to the report." ( Rowen 2013). In every source presented it is found that
kids of lgbt adoption will most likely do as well or better than kids of opposite sex parents. This also
translates into adulthood studies that show through testimonials that these kids have grown up happy and
healthy. In an article by apa.org author C. Munsey discuses " by looking at parents self reports and reports
of others, the research found that the children of gays and lesbians were virtually indistinguishable from
children of heterosexual parents. (Munsey 2010).

Reference List

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Dockterman, E (2014, May 26). Gay dads' brains develop just like those of straight parents, study finds.
Retrieved April 2, 2015 from http://time.com/116843/gay-dads-brains-develop-just-like-those-of-straightparents-study-finds/
Ferrei, E (2014, August 27). Same sex adoption: not as harmless as portrayed. Retrieved April 2, 2015,
from
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/08/samesex_adoption_not_as_harmless_as_portrayed.html
Munsey, C (2010, October). Adopted children thrive in same-sex households, study shows. Retrieved
April 2, 2015, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/10/adopted-children.aspx
Pappas, S. (2013, March 26). Supreme Court Prop. 8 Arguments Focus on Sex, Science. Retrieved April
2, 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/28195-supreme-court-prop-8-arguments-science.html
Rowan, K. (2013, March 21). Pediatricians' Group Supports Gay Marriage, Adoption Rights. Retrieved
April 2, 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/36885-pediatrician-s-group-supports-gay-marriageadoption-rights.html
Science Supports Gay Parents. (2013, March 23). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaA3R15fJis
"Adoption by gay and lesbian parents." Global issues in context online connection Detroit: Gale, 2015.
Global issues in context. Web. 2 Apr. 2015
http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?
&contentSet=GREF&idigest=0a596d8c36a21174f41ac3dd387c3e54&type=retrieve&tabID=&prodId=GI
C&docId=CP3208520245&source=gale&userGroupName=nysl_ce_cice&version=1.0