VICTOR GROZA

Gay and Lesbian Adoption

There is a fairly large amount of information available on the internet specific to gay and lesbian adoption. Presented below are sites geared to same-sex couples and general parenting or adoption sites with gay and lesbian adoption subsets.

American Civil Liberties Union – Lesbian and Gay Rights
http://www.aclu.org/issues/gay/parent.html
The ACLU provides a useful and informative sheet of facts and an overview of gay and lesbian issues. The major focus is on the legal policies and summaries of the states position on adoption; the majority of states cannot deny adoption based solely on sexual orientation. A great deal of research is presented on the comparison of heterosexual and homosexual parenting and the crisis in adoption and foster care, such as the need for permanency for children. Another useful section is the myths and facts of gay and lesbian parents; this may be useful to individuals with misconstrued information regarding gay parents. The site provides a great deal of useful and informative data focusing on a wide range of topics.

Meeting the Challenges of Adoption – Gay and Lesbian Parents
http://www.adopting.org/GayLesbianAdoption.html
Rosio Gonzalez and Jill Jacobs of Family Builders by Adoption produced this valuable site. There is a general search component, library of resources and a list of waiting children. The section for gay and lesbian parents provides an overview of state rulings and discussion of some potential obstacles, such as adoption agencies resistance to gay families. Suggestions are offered to assist in a positive adoption experience, such as researching various agencies that are not discriminatory to gay and lesbians. A brief explanation of the adoption process for all families is discussed and the potential intrusive nature of the homestudy. A list of supports for gay and lesbians are included and developing a support system is highly recommended. The site is accommodating to the needs of gay and lesbian parents and provides adequate and reliable information on the adoption process.

Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples
http://www.buddybuddy.com/toc.html
The task force site is a general site pertaining to issues that impact gay and lesbian families, primarily focusing on marriage. From the table of contents, the adoption, foster care, donor insemination and surrogating can be accessed through the parenting section. The section on adoption is clearly and thoughtfully written and provides a synopsis on same-sex adoption and statistics along with suggestions for families considering adoption. This site presents a great deal of valuable information from the American Bar Association and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse along with covering a wide range of concerns, such as the possible difficulties for gay men adopting. Lastly, there are case examples in various states that address the particular laws concerning same-sex adoption throughout the United States.

Family Pride Coalition: Supporting and protecting the families of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered parents
http://familypride.org
This site addresses the topic of same-sex adoption with biological children from a heterosexual marriage or relationship. The article, Protecting families: standards for child-custody in same-sex relationships, is presented in the what's new section. For gay and lesbian parents who are seeking adoption of their partners' child(ren), this site presents standards compiled by various professionals, lawyers and social workers, as well as parents to ensure a positive and the least stressful experience for the children and the parents. The article is profound and presents many helpful suggestions to deescalate intense situations. The site is only useful for couples experiencing this type of adoption process specific to custodial rights. The homepage is practical for gay parents and offers a list of events, links of interests, advocacy, parent groups and other important information.

Adopt: Assistance Information Support
http://www.adopting.org/gaybib.html
A gay bibliography is presented with two internet links specific to gay and lesbian adoption and a wide selection of non-internet references. This is particularly useful for individuals not inclined to search the internet or would like to supplement their research with academic and popular culture reading material. The books and articles range in topics specific to gay and lesbian parenting to family relations. Therefore, this site is functional for families in the beginning stages of adoption in order to have some prior understanding of potential parenting issues specific to same-sex families.

Parents Place: share the adventure of parenting
http://boards2.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppgayadopting2/1.html
The Parents Place is a general site for families with questions, seeking support and advice. The homepage provides a search component, newsletters and description of available programs. An interesting aspect is the board section, which is composed of various topics that people can discuss, debate and ask questions. The adoption board for gay and lesbian families is for advice and feedback, it is restricted from debate. It provides supportive information and allows individuals to ask questions and respond to concerns regarding gay adoption. This is very useful and anonymous; it empowers the community to interact and assist in an informal manner.

Promoting Lesbian Visibility on the Internet
http://www.lesbian.org/lesbian-moms/adopt.html
The site provides general issues and concerns specific for lesbians (www.lesbians.org). One of the interesting components is the questions and answers section from parents based on personal experience with adoption ranging from costs to locating agencies. A list of agencies specific to gay and lesbian adoptions is provided. The site provides articles, stories, resources by states and links to gay adoption sites. The site provides in-depth information in an informal and friendly environment.

Parenting Q & A
http://www.parenting-qa.com
This is an educational and functional site that provides a search component that connects with the parenting questions and answers database. There are multiple categories; adoption and second-parents are examples of the various key words that produce gay adoption literature. A selection of essays, organizations, tips and books are provided and accessible. An excellent adoption essay presents the state laws pertaining to same-sex adoption. A description of the various terminology utilized by the states is provided in order to comprehend the laws: co-parent, second-parent and same-sex parent. A large quantity of information specific to the various positions of the states and court cases provide a clear understanding of the political climate for gay and lesbian adoption in the state of interest. In addition, resources, questions and answers are categorized by children's developmental stage.

A State-by-State Guide to Adoption
http://www.gaywired.com/storydetail.cfm?Section=75&ID=748
This site provides a meticulous article by Joseph R. Price from Alternative Family. The general process of adoption is discussed as well as the many issues that gay and lesbians seeking adoption may encounter. The article is full of in-depth information on the various states and court proceedings regarding same-sex adoption. The issue of second parent adoption is addressed as well as legal cases specific to the states. The extensive article provides a great deal of research specific to the legal issues of gay and lesbian adoption.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association
http://www.ilga.org/Information/legal_survey/summary%20information/adoption_rights.htm
The international federation is composed of local and national groups with a mission of equal rights for gays and lesbians. The homepage (www.ilga.org) consists of global issues, news and the latest events. The site provides a listing of countries' position on same-sex adoption including pending legal cases. This is very helpful for gay and lesbians interested in international adoption and provides the basic knowledge of the countries that permit same-sex adoption.

Gay Parent
http://www.gayparentmag.com/Advertisements/advertisements.html
This site is a monthly online magazine for gay and lesbian families. The adoption and foster care category provides links to adoption agencies for same-sex couples. Resources, articles, support groups and links enable families to seek out a variety of topics. The site focuses on gay friendly agencies and services which adoptive families may utilize, such as nurturing families and supportive accommodations for gay families. A favorable component is the section on books and gifts for gay and lesbian adoptions.