McCain Denounces
Adoptions by Gays

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain denounced adoption for same-sex couples this weekend in an interview with The New York Times. McCain, who with his wife, Cindy, has an adopted child, has aligned himself with President Bush, who vehemently opposes adoption rights for gays.

"I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family, so, no, I don't believe in gay adoption," he said in the article. "I encourage adoption and I encourage the opportunities for people to adopt children. I encourage the process being less complicated so they can adopt as quickly as possible. And Cindy and I are proud of being adoptive parents."

In McCain's home state of Arizona, any unmarried adult can petition to adopt a child; however, the law does not specifically provide joint adoption by same-sex couples, according to the Human Rights Campaign. There is also no explicit ban on allowing a same-sex partner to petition to adopt a child of the other partner. Florida is the only U.S. state that bans all forms of adoption by gays.

Jody M. Huckaby, executive director of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, came out against McCain's views. "Love makes a family, but short-sighted positions like Senator McCain's can certainly tear families apart too," she said in a statement.

Kara Suffrendi, director of the Family Equality Council's public policy division, asserted that more than 75% of American homes don't follow the traditional married, heterosexual hierarchy. "We are a nation of blended and multigenerational families, adoptive and foster families, and families headed by single parents, divorced parents, unmarried parents, same-sex couples and more," she said in a statement. "This is what is true about lesbians and gays raising children: 30 years of scientifically valid research universally demonstrates that LGBT families are just as nurturing for children's growth and development as heterosexual families."

About 130,000 children live in the foster care system in any given year awaiting a permanent home, according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund. A joint study by the Urban Institute and the University of California, Los Angeles's Williams Institute shows that an estimated 14,000 adopted children in the United Statea are living with gay or lesbian parents. A national ban on such adoptions could cost the foster care system up to $130 million, placing the burden on states to foot a bill anywhere between $100,000 and $27 million, according to the report. (The Advocate)