Adoption ban wrong

"Child ID: 1277\nName: CARLOS\nAge: 14 year(s) old\nDescription: Carlos is handsome, athletic, and competitive, and he loves outdoor activities. He would love an older brother. He responds positively to a structured environment and needs a two-parent family." \nIf one were to go on the adoption section of Health and Human services site for Florida, he or she would find that hundreds of children, just like Carlos, are awaiting adoption. They are mostly young teenagers, and most of their descriptions next to their pictures ask for a "loving home" or a "two-parent family." But not all two-parent families are permitted to adopt and care for a child, according to Florida law that has recently been upheld. \nJames Lawrence King, a Florida judge, reinforced the ban against adoption by homosexual couples after one couple challenged the law to adopt a foster child that had been in their care for 10 years. The ban has been in existence since 1977.\n"Florida law is considered the nation's toughest, prohibiting adoptions by any gay or lesbian individual or couple," according to The Associated Press. It also said that the judge accepted the state's assertion that "married heterosexual couples provide a more stable home for children."\nBut according to an Aug. 8 article by Colleen Pohlig of the Seattle Times, children react differently when they discover their parents' homosexuality. At least one million children currently live in homes with a gay or lesbian parent, according to the article. Pohig also refers to a study done by the American Sociological Review which reveals that the only real difference between children raised by heterosexual parents as opposed to homosexual parents is their openness to the idea of same-sex relationships.\nUnfortunately, all the evidence cannot deny Florida the right to ban homosexual couples from providing homes to the children awaiting adoption. The Associated Press article reports that U.S. District Judge King said "given there is no fundamental right to adopt or be adopted, there can be no fundamental right to apply for adoption." Therefore, the court ruled that it was within the state's powers to deny adoption rights to gay parents.\nAnd if one state can do it, they can all do it, which is an unfortunate precedent to set. To deny children homes with two loving parents -- who happen to be homosexual -- is both cruel and ridiculous. Wouldn't it be better for a child to grow up in a happy and loving environment, rather than being passed through the foster care system?\nIt is unreasonable to think that gay partners cannot possibly provide a loving and stable home. Many of them already do. Surrounding a child with love and support has little if anything to do with sexuality. The law in Florida should be thrown out, and the sooner the better. Laws made all over the country are based on precedent, and it would be unfortunate to see other states using Florida's argument to pass their own form of this discriminatory law.\n