I thought the program was great. It wasn't too difficult to see that two men, together for 18 years, were definitely able and willing to nurture children.
Moreover, the children they have devoted their lives to were all born with HIV. What makes this case particularly astonishing is that they are suing to adopt 10 yr old Bert because Florida's Dept. of Families and Children has indicated that they might remove him from their foster care so that he might be adopted by a straight couple or individual. They're perfectly suited to care for unwanted foster children, but not to adopt them? That's just plain wrong!
The idiot Senator they interviewed grossly misrepresented a British study that didn't find any greater statistically significant tendency to have same-sex thoughts or experiences for teens raised by lesbians as for teens in the general population. What it did conclude was that children raised in a same-sex environment were less likely to grow up thinking of such a possibility as wrong or abnormal. Is that so awful, really?
Okay, great, the ideal parents for human children are Mom and Dad. I've worked with teen fathers, and studied the literature; I know the importance of the involvement of both genders in child-rearing. But guess what? Many happy, responsible adults have been raised by one parent with the help of grandparents, aunts and uncles, and close family friends.
I agree with Joel that growing up gay is difficult. I would add that coming to terms with it as an adult is even more so. No one I know WANTS kids to grow up to be gay, but guess what? It is part of human nature, so what we CAN hope for future generations is some educated understanding, rather than the perpetuation of ignorance.
But I would challenge Joel to find an adoptive HETEROsexual family where there doesn't seem to be something missing. I challenge anyone to find any 'step family' where there doesn't seem to be just a little something missing (or worse). I know two gay male families where one partner already had custody of his own children from a failed hetero union, and they each are unique and successful arrangements (if not problem-free, just like everyone else!).
Thankgod that it is getting easier for gay youth to be themselves. One part of the whole equation that IS definitely learned from society is fear and self-hatred. Men who sneak around or hate themselves are far more likely to engage in risky behavior than two men in a loving relationship who are comfortable with who they are in the world.
I feel that EVERY case of adoption should be evaluated on a case by case basis, with no reference to sexual orientation. It has to be better for children to be in a stable loving home, than to be passed from home to home or left in institutions.
Have a great weekend all!