Just a small indication of the perspective of the Obama administration on gay and lesbian families appears on the State Department website on international adoption. There is a section entitled "GLBT adoption." (Note that "GLBT" is identified as the shorthand for "gay and lesbian" individuals and couples. Does someone in the State Dept not know about the bisexual and transgender part?) While acknowledging that some countries and states have restrictions on "GLBT" adoption, the site does state categorically, "U.S. federal law does not prohibit gay and lesbian Americans or same-sex couples from being an adoptive parent." (Let's ignore the grammatical problem; it should be "from being adoptive parents").
I confess that I like seeing that sentence in print. It does send a message of acceptance, even though it is a simple declarative fact. And it doesn't address the fact that international adoptions into the US are down and likely to drop more as a result of the requirements of the Hague Convention, as it is more difficult for anyone to adopt internationally. There are reasons that make it more difficult specifically for same-sex couples as well. So the State Dept website may have greater symbolic than real significance.
1 comment:
That is nice to see.
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