Alyse Kaminski | Staff Columnist
Recently, I came across an article from NBC News which detailed the story of Vice President Mike Pence praising adoption agencies that prohibit LGBTQ+ people from adopting. In the moment, I really did not think much about it since everyone knows that Pence has his reservations when it comes to gay people, to say the least.
Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized how dangerous that is. In the United States, there is a dramatic overload of kids in the foster care system, so many of them waiting for the day to be adopted. A day that may never come because the odds are stacked against them. In fact, the NBC News article mentioned that there are more than 100,000 children awaiting adoption in foster care.
And our executive branch only cares about making sure that only straight people can adopt them. Wholeheartedly, that is disgusting and a poor display from anyone who considers themself pro-life.
However, the article does say that these adoption providers are based in faith and it comes down to a matter of religious freedom. As an avid supporter of the First Amendment, I feel like using freedom of religion as the explanation for this ban is the only way people could get away with feeling this way. Otherwise, it is 100%a matter of being hateful.
LGBTQ+ people adopting could also be considered a matter of freedom from religion. Anyone who is fit to be a parent should be able to do so without someone handing them a Bible and telling them it’s wrong in the eyes of the Lord. If it is, then it is up to Him to decide. Not an adoption agency worker with hate in their heart. When it comes down to it, the Lord I believe in does not hate anyone and would not exclude anyone from the happiness of parenthood.
Whether or not it is a religious freedom matter, I personally still feel like it’s a cop-out. It is 2020 and people are still using ancient traditions as grounds to exclude people, which I find really disappointing. In no way am I saying that it is wrong to live life according to the Bible, but I think it’s time we really stop using it as a way to discriminate.
When it comes down to it, as long as a couple is willing and stable enough to give a child an emotionally and financially supportive home life, then sexual orientation does not need to be a factor in the adoption process.
My stepsister and her girlfriend are getting married this fall and I have no doubt that shortly after that they will be ready to become parents. I would hate to see their dream of giving a child a loving home squelched because a few homophobic people cringe at the thought of two women raising a baby together. That’s just silly.
There is no reason at all for people to think that a child is better off in a home with a male and female parent. I know plenty of people who grew up more so surrounded by women and grew up to be great people. There are plenty of others who grew up with only male figures in their life and also turned out just fine. Everyone knows that to be true.
Excluding LGBTQ+ people from adopting is just one more way to alienate and oppress them.
Truly, we can only hope that in 2020 leaders will be elected who stand up for human rights. The current administration has done nothing but dishearten and berate the desires of people who deserve as fair a shot as anyone.
It is almost time for the public to use their voices at the voting polls. Please do your best to research the candidates past and present comments on anything regarding human rights. It is literally too exhausting to keep living in a time where innocent people cannot obtain the things they want and deserve because a few people think its gross and sacrilegious.