Same Sex Adoption OK in TN

Submitted by Mello on Thu, 2007/10/11 - 5:00pm.

Opinion No. 07-140
Adoptions by Same Sex Couples
QUESTION
Pursuant to the Tennessee statutes relating to adoptions and the Tennessee Constitution, is it legal to permit an adoption by a same sex couple?

OPINION
Assuming the adoption is found to be in the best interest of the child, there is no prohibition in Tennessee adoption statutes against adoption by a same sex couple.

Link...



Carole Borges's picture
As well it should be...

A child can easily understand that they have a different family. Just as a child of deaf or blind parents or parents that struggle with English, a child instinctually feels most comfortable and happiest when they are loved. They also seem to have a special radar about this. It's hard to fool a child about your feelings. Children of same sex parents feel great loyalty to their parents if they are loved.

Children have no problem with same sex marriage, but many adults do. It's too bad many children have to endure teasing and cruel remarks.

Sexual abuse of children by hetrosexual family members is all too common. Being hetrosexual has nothing at all to do with being a good parent.

Well said

Well said. My concern is that they now have their wedge issue to bring out the bigot voters next year.

Carole Borges's picture
True it will probably help the ultra-conservatives

But maybe many voters are getting sick of beating this dead horse in drag. There also might be a big backlash this year from people who "kind of" believed what the wingnuts were saying, but later realized they have taken this country down a darker and darker path. It might mean some people are seeing this equation

Hating gays=Being on the side of perverted politicians, pill popping disk jockeys, noose hanging white people, and lying government officals trying to sabatoge our democracy from the inside.

Compared to being okay with a kid having two dads or two moms, I'd say the choice was really simple..

sigh

there is no prohibition in Tennessee adoption statutes against adoption by a same sex couple.

You've got to wonder why this question was raised, and you've gotta believe the statement above will stand until about 10 minutes after the Tennessee General Assembly convenes in January. Look no further than the comments on the News Sentinel and WBIR web sites to see why. -- s.

double sigh

That was my first reaction too. It's really depressing.

"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes

Look no further than the

Look no further than the comments on the News Sentinel and WBIR web sites to see why.

Maybe better than you think. I admittedly have not read all the comments, and I also admit that I only checked the KNS site, but the vast majority of comments are similar to the sensible opinions here, that a loving and supportive family is what counts, not the gender issues that should only matter to the couple in question. In fact, the dissenter at KNS is a lone voice that seems to have plenty of time to keep stating his/her religious beliefs ad nauseum.

Is there any...

good argument against same sex adoption, couple or single parent? Not a rhetorical question....I mean, is it just a foolish concern by foolish people, or are there genuine legitimate issues involving the welfare of the child?

The only arguments against

The only arguments against it make fetish of the "nuclear family," a concept both short in history and narrow in its extent throughout the world.

True happiness is knowing you are a hypocrite. -- Ivor Cutler

Oh,

I see.

WhitesCreek's picture
From observing the adopted

From observing the adopted child of gay friends of mine, I can't see how this is anything but wonderful for the child. He has a "Daddy" and a "Poppy" now, whereas before, he had an institution.

Carole Borges's picture
Excellently put...

A charming and loving image vs a life being unwanted and shifted from foster to home to foster home, some of which haven't exactly been safe havens for children either.

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