There are many false and often harmful myths surrounding the idea of adoption by LGBT parents. These myths are damaging and unfair to both the parents wanting to adopt and the children who could benefit from being adopted and having a family. Below, we clear up some of those myths.
Children of same sex couples will get picked on.
A common myth about LGBT adoption is that children of same sex couples will get picked on because of their parents. The sad reality is that children can be bullied over just about anything. Claiming that children of gay couples will get bullied is negative and harmful to those in the LGBT community trying to adopt and give children homes. There are many reasons someone might decide to bully others, but claiming that children of same sex couples will automatically be bullied is simply wrong especially considering how the younger generations often prove to be more open-minded.
Being raised by LGBT parents will make the kids gay.
Probably the most common myth about LGBT adoption is that having gay parents will somehow make the kids gay as well. The sexual orientation of the parents does not dictate the orientation of the child; this can be easily disproved simply by pointing out that most LGBT adults were raised by heterosexual parents. The sexual orientation of a person is not something a child learns, but is something that a person has no control over. If anything, children raised by gay parents are likely to be more open to diversity and tolerance.
Children need a mother and father.
There have been people who claim that a child needs both a mother and a father to be raised properly, even though studies have shown good outcomes for children whether they have same-sex or opposite-sex parents. Children simply need a safe, loving, and stable home; the gender of the parents who provide that for them doesn't matter in the slightest.
LGBT parents can’t provide stable homes.
There is no evidence to suggest that gay parents cannot provide the same type of stability that a hetrosexual couple does. Same sex parents are just as capable as a hetrosexual couple in supporting a child's healthy development and in providing a emotionally and financially stable environment.
Children of gay couples will suffer developmentally.
There are some who claim that children raised in a gay household will suffer socially or with their development. There is no evidence to support this claim at all. Children of LGBT couples are not any more likely to grow up with lower self-esteem or intelligence. Supportive and loving parents can help their children develop in a healthy way, regardless of their gender.
It is difficult for LGBT couples to adopt children.
This may have been true in the past -- even in the recent past -- but not anymore! Equality warriors of the past have made it possible for LGBT couples today to be able to adopt in every state in the country. Contact an adoption professional to learn how you can take the first steps toward being an adoptive parent.
