You said, " I don't think we have this data, so as a profession guided by scientific principles, we don't have the authority to condemn the practice." Which is true - my main point is that the AAP had no business commenting on this at all! Not to condemn it, not to support it. Why does it potentially injure itself and spray crap on us? -gb ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Jon Slater" <> Reply-To: "Jon Slater" <> Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 20:04:44 -0800 >Adoption is a political issue these days. In Canada, a native child can't be >adopted by a non native family even if there is no suitable native family >available. This to me is a case where the needs of one segment of society >seems to take precedence over the needs of the individual child, and I >simply can't support it. > >So let's turn that around. Why shouldn't gay or lesbian couples be allowed >to adopt, especially if they are well suited to that child's needs? Should >the needs of traditional couples take precedence over the needs of the >individual child? > >I come complete with my own set of prejudices, including a fair degree of >unease over homosexuality. That said, do we have data to support a position >that gay/lesbian parents shouldn't be allowed to adopt, even in cases where >neither is the biological parent? That *would* be science. I don't think we >have this data, so as a profession guided by scientific principles, we don't >have the authority to condemn the practice. > >My main reservation about the policy statement is that it cites review >articles only. Seems to me that if they are going to refer to a >"considerable body of professional literature " they should go to the source >and not to someone else's interpretation. > >Just my 2c worth... > >Jon > >-----Original Message----- >From: [mailto:]On Behalf Of >Daniel Frieling >Sent: February 5, 2002 5:09 PM >To: >Subject: changed to: adoption story Re: AAP's Policy on same-sex >adoption > > >>sexual orientation. Getting into med school was a piece of cake compared >>to being approved for a child! > >Different subject than original post, but relevant to this comment: some >very close friends of our family had been approved to be able to adopt. >This adoption agency attempted to match parent/adoptive-parent requests. >Our friends had requested the child be at least 50% Caucasian (she is >Caucasian, African American and American Indian - she is simply gorgeous :) >- the parents requested that she be found a home outside of the city type >life they had growth up in, our friends live in a mountain ski town to >remain nameless; they were a perfect match all around. Our friends were >told on a Monday that they should expect to actually be parents in 18-24 >months. On Thursday that week they were called and told to come to Big City >the next morning to pick up their daughter. Talk about unprepared >parents!!! No pregnancy (a while to get ready), no 18-24 months to get >ready. My wife (pediatrician) got many calls :) and things are absolutely >great 10 years later. > >Danny