Abstract
This chapter dispenses findings and results from different literature reviews done in the area of LGBTQ adoption rights. The topic has been explored through a multilateral approach. Literature reviews of various disciplines like human rights, psychology, sociology, law, and politics have been incorporated to provide a comprehensive picture to the readers. A notable fact is that sexual minority people are capable of adoption and having families. Adoption by LGBTQ community is legal in countries like Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. But genuine effort is needed to legalise adoptions among LGBTQ populations in more nations. Many countries previously open to international adoptions are now raising barriers for interested adoptive parents from other countries. Further focus is given to the future challenges in legalizing LGBTQ peoples' adoption rights, which includes stressors for LGBTQ parents, such as misconceptions about gender and sexual minorities, opposition of strong religious views and laws, and poor economic and education systems of a country.
TopThe Modern Family
2009 premiered the famous American sitcom “The Modern Family” that portrayed the story of a gay couple over the progression of 11 seasons. Viewers around the globe could not help but fall in love with the comic combo of Cameron and Mitchell. Through the series, we see the chaotic and energetic love story of the two gay men and how they later on raise children in their household. The show has offered its watchers perspectives about how the lifestyle of same sex- couple (Cameron and Mitchell) moves forward and illustrates various spheres of their lives. However, the lives of the members belonging to a rainbow family is not always as happy as shown in the American TV sitcoms and a lot of challenges and barriers exists in this domain. We often forget about the practical hardships and adversities that LGBTQ couples go through when they are planning to have a family of their own.
The emergence of the word family comes from the word famulus, which primarily means a servant, it is a biological unit with a common place for all its members (Gisbert, 2010). According to Burgess and Locke (1963), family is a group of humans bound by the ties of marriage, blood or adoption living within a common household, communicating with each other and functioning, concerning the positions that each member may have in a given household. As defined by The United States Census Bureau (2007) a family is a “relatively permanent group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage or adoption and who reside under the same roof.”
The ideas of bearing children, parenting and having a family mainly revolves around heteronormativity and people generally do not consider the non-heteronormative or non-binary individuals when thinking about a family. Therefore, we should have a more inclusive and diverse view of families instead of having a conventional perspective about it. As we all know that family, being one of the dominant primary agents of socialization holds a lot of importance in one’s life and their developmental milestones.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Taubira Bill: The law opening marriage to same-sex couples, No. 2013-404, it is a French law which, since 18 May 2013, grants same-sex couples the right to marry and jointly adopt children.
Family Pathology: According to Veeraraghavan and Dogra (2000), family pathology is the extent to which maladaptive behaviours present amongst the family members in their interaction with each other that is between spouses and between parents and children.
Home Study: It is a basic overview of the adoptees which includes criminal background checks, finances, and even personal relationships. It is used by the courts to assess if a stable environment exists for a family to receive a child via adoption.
Rainbow Family: According to an Australian parenting support website called Pregnancy Birth and baby the term ‘rainbow family’ refers to a family with parents of the same sex bringing up a child, or an LGBTQ+ parented family. Rainbow families, like all families, come in all shapes and sizes. They include same-sex families and gender-diverse families. It might mean a single gay, lesbian or transgender parent. It might mean there are surrogates and donors involved.