Edinburgh adoption case: gay couple preferred over grandparents
Published: 29 January, 2009, 13:22
Edited: 21 May, 2010, 12:13
TAGS: Children, UK, Thrills&Spills
After a two-year-long battle in an Edinburgh court, it has been ruled that two kids aged five and four are to be adopted by a gay couple – rather than their own grandparents, who are distraught by the court decision.
Being 'financially crippled by legal bills' after the court fight, the grandparents were denied an opportunity to care for the children of their 26-year-old daughter, who is said to be a recovering drug addict. The only reason named was worries about their age and health, the Daily Mail newspaper says.
The 59-year-old grandfather has angina, while his wife, aged 46, is being treated for diabetes. Devastated, they agreed that their grandkids be adopted by a loving family, they said. They were chilled to find out that two gay men were chosen among several other candidate heterosexual couples approved as adoptive families.
Social services insisted that the decision was made 'in accordance with whom can best meet the children’s needs.'
When the grandparents started protesting, social workers told them: “You can either accept it, and there’s a chance you’ll see the children twice a year, or you can take that stance and never see them again.”
Meanwhile a social worker report says that the younger child, a little girl, 'has tended to be more wary of males in general.' The reasoning behind the decision is not particularly clear, moreover taking into consideration that it was taken behind closed doors.
A spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Church, Peter Kearney, commented on the issue saying:
“This is a devastating decision which will have a serious impact on the welfare of the children involved. There is an overwhelming body of evidence showing that same-sex relationships are inherently unstable and reduce the life expectancy of those involved. With this in mind, the social work department has deliberately ignored evidence which undermines their decision and opted for politically correct posturing rather than providing stability and protection.”
The kids’ grandparents insist they are not homophobic, but “in our society the mother is generally the cornerstone of the family and the most important person for a young child,” said the grandfather.
Adoption by gay couples in Scotland was approved in 2006. It was estimated that nearly 90 percent of people in the country opposed it.
29.01.2009, 12:19
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29.01.2009, 15:37
2 comments
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Personally, I feel that this article is written in a one-sided way. It only gives one view. Even the picture makes me sad; the men are smiling and the kids have flat lines for mouths, like they're not happy or something's wrong with them! Not only that, I swear you guys purposely end on a low note, with stating that 90% of the country is against it. Look, I'm not trying to be a jerk & nag on anyone or be narcissistic enough to think that my opinion alone is right or that I should have a say in what you report. All I'm saying is, it would look a little more professional (and be much appreciated) to present both sides of the story. Perhaps you could just state the facts, from both sides, so it looks more neutral? By only giving one side of the story, and using words like 'devastated,' and 'chilled,' then later making social services sound like the "bad guy" and presenting us with only Peter Kearney's quote (FILLED with misinformation by the way!) you make it seem like homosexuality is evil and you're on the grandparents' side. Either way, that's not a good way to present a story at all :( Maybe you should have included the couple's side, or the gay community's reaction to how strongly people feel against them adopting and raising children? I'm not asking that anyone listen to me, heed my word, and accept my opinions. I just think that it would be a lot better to tell a little bit about both views on the issue, maybe include quotes from prominent players on both stances (that AREN'T completely nuts), and not use strong adjectives to avoid sounding biased. But seriously, don't use pictures like that, because that is offensive. I'm assuming this isn't intended to be hateful, but it SEEMS slanted. Only trying to give advice. & by the way, it's already been shown that it doesn't matter if the parents are male or female, of the same or opposite gender; as long as they're loving and supportive, that's all that counts. There is NO concrete evidence to support otherwise.