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Same-sex Adoption

Name

Institution Affiliation
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Among the ethical dilemmas that exist, the issue of same-sex couples adopting a child

raises a heated debate. Same-sex adoption is an ethical issue that has raised an ethical dilemma

pointing towards whether it is right for same-sex couples to adopt children. On one side, it is

argued that children should grow in the traditional masculine and feminine environment where

they can acquire traditional social mechanisms (Pennings, 2017). If then they are growing in the

same-sex environment how will they learn these mechanisms? Furthermore, what about when

the children come of age? For instance, when girls reach puberty, will a male sex couple be

helping at female matters pertaining to maturing and growing? On the other side, it is explained

that same-sex couples who adopt a child have the willingness of doing so because they have

genuine compassion for the plight of an orphaned child (Pennings, 2017). It is undeniable that a

child who is in need of adoption desperately needs help because they are living in abnormal

circumstances. The child is without any parent and therefore needs a source of love, guidance

and basic needs. If same-sex couples can offer these, then it is justified that they adopt a child.

Among the two, the right of the child overcomes the idea of inadequacy in parenting in same-sex

couples. It, therefore, means that as long as the child will enjoy their rights and basic needs, then

they can be brought up by same-sex couples.

The government, through the child welfare system, can assist in solving the ethical

dilemma. The welfare system is not a single entity but a collection of public agencies, child

welfare agencies and community-based organizations, foster care, employment assistance, and

financial assistance (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2019). These entities can solve the

dilemma by making the rights of children paramount. This implies providing assistance to same-

sex families to raise the child and prevent abuse of the adopted children.
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References

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2019). How the child welfare system works. Washington,

DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau. Retrieved from

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/cpswork/

Pennings, G. (2017). Evaluating the welfare of the child in same-sex families. Human

Reproduction, 26(7), 1609-1615. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der109