When I started this blog, I had
no idea what I would write about. When I re-started it I had even less of an
idea of the direction I wanted to take it in. I guessed most of it would be
about body image and positivity, which as most of you will know now is something
that is very dear to my heart. However, what is also very close to me is people
being given a fair chance.
Today I was horrified to read that the Welsh Secretary had made
some statements about gay adoption. Now, I know that same sex adoption is
something that has very much split public opinion and I am not asking you to
agree with it. However David Jones statement about gay couples
"clearly" being unable to provide a "warm and safe environment" is
wrong. As someone that is in authority, I feel that he should only use facts
and figures when he makes comments about such important events. I would like to
know where his facts come from that gay couples are "clearly" unable
to provide a safe environment for children.
"I regard marriage as an institution that has developed over many centuries, essentially for the provision of a warm and safe environment for the upbringing of children, which is clearly something that two same-sex partners can't do."
I was lucky enough to grow up in a stable household. I had two
parents who were married (to each other!) and two siblings who shared the same
set of parents as me. It wasn't until I was about 14 that I realised how lucky
this made me. I now know that not every childhood is so happy and not everyone
is so lucky.
If you are against same sex adoption then that is your right to be
so... but I do feel that any stable home is better than a care home (although I
don’t have any experience of these so I am only making an assumption). If two
people are willing to go through the strict adoption process in order to team
up and give a child a loving home, then in my opinion - let them!
What I do not agree with is gentlemen such as David Jones turning
his opinion into statements that make them sound like facts. If there was clear
(and unbiased) evidence that showed children were not ever able to have a
"safe and warm" environment then I think most of us would be against
gay adoption, however as far as I know there is no such thing.
Instead there
are gay couples that adopt successfully and gay couples who perhaps aren’t as
good at it - just as there are straight couples and single people who adopt.
The sweeping statement that Mr Jones made about gay couples being unable to
provide a "safe and warm environment" is ludicrous and he really
should make sure he has the facts to back up such a claim before he goes ahead
and makes them in the future.
It is probably worth pointing out that he is one of two cabinet ministers who voted against gay marriage although he does not believe he is homophobic, insisting he has "people in my life who are important to me who are gay".
Have a great weekend!
Debz x
