Homosexual adoption under scrutiny

Sen. John Waterman, D-39th district, has proposed legislation that would prohibit homosexuals from adopting or providing foster care for children in Indiana for the second year in a row.\nSen. Waterman proposed Bill 182 for the current session of the General Assembly in the beginning of January. He filed Bill 144, a similar bill, during the opening week of the 2001 General Assembly. \nIf lawmakers support Waterman's bill, Indiana will become the second state in the nation to ban homosexuals from adopting children. Florida is currently the only state to outlaw gay and lesbian adoption.\nWaterman was unavailable for comment, but in a press release following the adoption bill of 2001, he said that many constituents in his rural district agree with him regarding the immorality of homosexuality.\n"Our society continues to reward degenerative, un-Christian, immoral behavior," Waterman said in the release.\nWaterman said children who grow up raised by homosexual parents are prone to higher stress levels.\n"In our society, children have so many obstacles to face," Waterman said. "I just want to help prevent other impediments that may have a negative impact on these kids lives."\nChild welfare is a major concern for General Assembly members, but other Indiana lawmakers don't share Waterman's point of view.\n"There is absolutely no justification for denying a child from being adopted by loving parents or being placed with caring foster parents," Rep. Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington, said.\nRep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, agreed. \n"I believe that the decision of where a child should be placed (should) just be based on the recommendations of social workers and the verdict of the judge," Welch said.\nSteve Sanders, Indiana state coordinator of The Human Rights Campaign, works to educate lawmakers about homosexuality. The HRC is the nation's largest gay/lesbian political group. Sanders is also an IU administrative staff member.\nDespite Waterman's efforts, hundreds of thousands of homosexuals are raising children in America, Sanders said. The most important question is whether or not children's needs are filled. Kruzan agreed that child welfare is the central issue.\n"There are bad people of all sexual orientations," Kruzan said. "Our goal should be to ensure the good people who wish to provide children with a good home are able to do so."\nAndrew Wilson, a third-year graduate student at IU and the President of Allys, a group for straight allies to the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community, said that homosexuals can make good parents.\n"Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that homosexuals make worse or better parents than heterosexuals," Wilson said.\nRegardless of the controversy surrounding Bill 182, it might not even make it to committee this year because the General Assembly is running out of time for this session, said Amanda Hillard Beam, Waterman's press secretary.