Challenges of Same-Sex Couples

Partners as Parents by Charlene Gomes is about the struggles gay couples have in trying to have children, and create a family. In the past it was much harder to adopt and have children if you were in a homosexual relationship. With new fertilization methods and adoptive services, gay couples can now receive children more easily. Presidents such as George W. Bush are more conservative than others were in the past, and believe that marriage is between a man and a woman only. Although others may believe this, married heterosexual couples only comprise of 23% of U.S. households. One of the way gay couples can get children is by adoption, but they have a more difficult time than other couples would. Gomes says, "Unlike heterosexual couples in the same situation, same-sex couples are subjected to numerous home visits and intensive social work assessments to determine the suitability of the adoption." This is why adoption takes longer for same-sex parents, and becomes more stressful for them to deal with. When they are finally able to adopt children they are pushed towards the mentally or physically disabled children. They are labeled as "unfit" to parent, but then are adopting the children that need the most attention and need. Gay couples also have a tougher time when it comes to obtaining custody of the children. Kathryn Kendall found that divorce does more damage to the children than does the parent's sexual orientation. So why make the divorce more painful and difficult then it already is when all your doing is hurting the children? I don't believe divorce laws should be different for same-sex couples. In the end it shows that all children are going to be teased by something or another in their lifetime whether it's how they look or talk. Don't add any more reasons for children to be picked on or have low self-esteem because there are already so many reasons why kids don't like their selves, and there parent's sexuality shouldn't be one of them.