The New South Wales government's lower house has narrowly passed a bill that will allow same-sex couples to adopt children in the state. After a two-day debate, the bill passed 46 votes to 44 after MPs were allowed a conscience vote on the legislation, ABC News reported.
The bill was introduced by independent Sydney MP Clover Moore who included an amendment that gives church adoption agencies the right to refuse services to same-sex couples without breaching anti-discrimination laws. She was quoted as saying that she did this "against her strong belief" in the hope it would encourage MPs to support the bill.
The Sydney Morning Herald also notes that the bill will allow for birth parents who do not want their children to be adopted by a same-sex couple to make their preference known without fear they will breach anti-discrimination laws by doing so.
The bill would most often apply to situations where a couple adopted a foster child, or a parent adopts the child of his/her partner. An estimated 1300 children in NSW are already fostered by same-sex couples or cared for by a parent's gay partner.
The bill would not affect inter-country adoptions since none of the countries Australia has agreements with allows such adoptions.
Gay couples can already adopt in the ACT and Western Australia while same-sex step-parent adoptions (where one parent is biological) are allowed in Tasmania.
Tasmania to recognise foreign same-sex marriages
This week, Tasmania's Lower House of Parliament approved laws recognising same-sex marriages and civil unions registered in other states or countries.
ABC News reported that only three of the 25 Members of the House of Assembly – Liberals Rene Hidding, Michael Ferguson and Jacqui Petrusma – voted against the amendment to the Relationships Act.
Attorney-General Lara Giddings told ABC the changes sought to remove discrimination for same-sex couples in registered relationships.
"This is really a small step, but a significant and important step for those people who have registered or been through a civil union process elsewhere around the world and want us to recognise that relationship as indeed being in existence," she said.
Gay rights campaigner Rodney Croome has welcomed the bill saying it allows for greater respect for personal unions from interstate and overseas.
"It would be good to see the Tasmanian Parliament revisit the issue of same-sex marriage and recognition of same-sex marriages in Australia, but that's a separate issue," he said.
The amendment must now pass Tasmania’s Legislative Council, which is comprised of one Liberal, three Labor members, and 11 independents. The amendment is expected to be voted on within one month.
The ACT is the only state or territory that currently recognises civil partnerships carried out in other Australian states and countries but not same-sex marriages.
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As far as wew gay do not have the ability to give birth,then we should not give birth,we should stick to what is ours.
What if the adopted child now find it difficult to adapt to the fact he or she was raise by a gay couple and commit suicide,consider this.
Children for adoption in Australia are a very rare commodity thanks to Supporting Mother's Benefits paid by the Commonwealth Govt which provides for single mothers to raise their own children. And of course there is the widespread use of contraception which has reduced the number of available adoptees
xoxoxoxo
btw, it wasn't specified if these same sex couple can only adopt children of their opposite sex (i.e. gay couple adopting only girl and lesbian couple adopting only boys). i think it's a good measure to prevent sexual abuse, u know, just in case these couples intention is not really to adopt but merely to obtain a "sex toy".
and colegarcia, on your statement quoted below
"What if the adopted child now find it difficult to adapt to the fact he or she was raise by a gay couple and commit suicide,consider this."
I find it hard to believe that you yourself would presume the kid that these couple adopted will discriminate. given the fact that the community that they live in supports gay marriages, same sex couple adoption and the amount of time that the couple can educate this young kid to accept diversity (of sexual orientation) in life, i would assume that these kid will be able to accept his/her adoptive gay/les parents.
It is not fair for stairght to give birth to kids and a same sex should be allow to adopt,for me,all I will say children should only be adopted by only someone who can give birth naturally,not someone who just want anal sex.
firstly, i do not think being gay is "not right" as it's a not a matter of choice for most of us.
secondly, we can always adopt kids who are abandoned or orphaned. is that not a good thing?
lastly, i hope that we wont be categorised as lustful animals who only wants anal sex and to be discriminated by your own kind (assuming you are gay as well), that kinda sucks.
Most gay i think were not raised/adopted by gay couple. D dilemma of adopted kid usually ended up over pampered or abused.
Just like adopting anything, pet or human, do u hv time to provide care n nurture?
The sex of a a parent is irrelevant to a child, the important thing is that the child knows he or she is loved. Your simplistic arguments deny the fact that a large proportion of families are single parent families... 30% in Australia, 40% in the UK.
I'd hazard a guess that there are more suicides amongst unloved children than there are among children of same-sex parents. In fact I'd go so far as to suggest that the children of a same sex partnership are considerably better off than those of the average hetero relationship
As for your comments about anal sex... are you sure you arent from Uganda??? I believe the statistics show that 46% of hetero couples indulge in anal sex.
Its a fxxxing good thing god invented lube
Your statement about not being able to give birth = you shouldnt be allowed to adopt is illogical nonsense. Does it also mean that infertile women arent allowed to adopt?
Are you absolutely sure you arent a Ugandan suffering from internalised homophobia??
Secondly,a infertile women should be allow to adopt,as far as she was designed to give birth but due to some reason,she cannot,but she can give motherly love which is the birth.
But what will homosexual couple offer,manly love,which of us did not enjoy motherly love?tell me,I love my mum so much till she died,that was why I was able to develop the habit of homosexual,had she being alive,she will have corrected me.
And when it comes to anal sex,straight do have but they do not take it as an habit like us,who say we will not do anything but anal sex and with only a man.
Our anus does not produce lubricant for penetration, so u should know it was not created for sex,we turned it to a sex material,I have being penetrated and also penetrate someone,I will tell u from experience,we are only doing because we are addicted to this habit,not that it was natural like a woman vurginal which was created for penetration.once a touches a woman,she becomes wet,and produce lubricant,so when the man penetrate,it does in easily without friction. But ours,we will need to apply lubricant which is not produce by our body.
Get it, if we care about adandoned children, all we should do is donate towards there well being,so they can enjoy motherly love.
Secondly,a infertile women should be allow to adopt,as far as she was designed to give birth but due to some reason,she cannot,but she can give motherly love which is the birth.
But what will homosexual couple offer,manly love,which of us did not enjoy motherly love?tell me,I love my mum so much till she died,that was why I was able to develop the habit of homosexual,had she being alive,she will have corrected me.
And when it comes to anal sex,straight do have but they do not take it as an habit like us,who say we will not do anything but anal sex and with only a man.
Our anus does not produce lubricant for penetration, so u should know it was not created for sex,we turned it to a sex material,I have being penetrated and also penetrate someone,I will tell u from experience,we are only doing because we are addicted to this habit,not that it was natural like a woman vurginal which was created for penetration.once a touches a woman,she becomes wet,and produce lubricant,so when the man penetrate,it does in easily without friction. But ours,we will need to apply lubricant which is not produce by our body.
Get it, if we care about adandoned children, all we should do is donate towards there well being,so they can enjoy motherly love.
Why do we want to confuse the child ? What is the child going to say to his / her class mates about having two father / two mothers ?
Children are very innocent and the can get hurt from the very innocent comments made by their friends. We can always be their god parents or whatever you call them ...support them in their education , their growing up years financially, but please do not bring them home and pretend that we are going to be their parents.We are not and we will never be. What kind of values are we imparting to the child ? I know I am going to get blasted here by those who have adopted or planning to. But please spare a thought for the child. How are you going to explain to the child during his / her growing up years. What is the child going to tell his/her class mates or friends about ??? Please spare a thought for the child. They are innocent. Help these children financially if you can , give them a better tomorrow but not by bring the child home and pretend that he/she is yours. What happens if your relationship with your partner does not work ( as much as I would like it to work) , so there are many angles we need to consider.
On the other hand I am also against biological parents to state who and who cannot adopt. IF being the biological parent , you cannot bring the child up , please spare a thought for that poor child too. Shut up and give it to someone who can give that child a better tomorrow. ( against do not confuse the child ). My 2 cents.
I wish that Vietnam permit same sex can marry..
when i find my mate i would go there to get married...
lol...
in the philippines we had a movement for same sex marriage...
there are a lot of advantages...
i think it is the right of everyone to be married to the one the choose to and avail of the benefits...
the catholic church has some influence on the mindset of the majority...
i think that is a problem foe GLBTs...
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