What a huge amount of opinion without any evidence.

On face value, if I were in charge of such things, I would not allow same sex adoptions. My logic would be that the child's welfare is far more important than the wishes of a would be adopting parent. I would be very surprised if there was not some psychological price to pay for having same sex parents, especially men.

That said, the issue is whether the demand among different sex couples is sufficient to ensure that children are not spending years in care waiting to be adopted. In that case, there is an argument to allow same sex adoption.
I would certainly ban surrogacy for same sex couples and prioritise different sex couples followed by female couples over male couples.
Adoption is not about keeping couples happy. It is about the child.
The Elton John situation would never happen if I had anything to do with it, good parent or not.

Nick and Hog, for once I can actually see both sides, Nick your right in the fact that Infanticide is not the premise of same sex couples, and in fact is much more common in mothers.

However I am a single parent and have been since my wife died of suicide back in Sep 2014. I have (I like to think) been the best dad I can possibly be, but as my two girls get older, it is quite clear to me that they also need a female role model in their life, a mother figure if you will, girls need a mum, no matter how good I am a father some things are just better done by mum. That's not misogynist it's just a fact, I can't teach the girls how to apply make up, or paint toenails ( although I have let them practice on me, which has raised some eyebrows in the showers lol). I can't advise them on how much a period will hurt as I've never had one, I could go on but I'm not going to insult your intelligence.

As humans we are designed to procreate with each other, to breed, to argue against that is idiocy of the highest order.

Be gay if you like, but if you are gay I don't see why that you should feel entitled to a child ? To have to mums, or two dads, or two trans gender parents who are gender fluid, and wake up one day identifying as a woman, the next a man is not Normal. Normality in this case is backed up by evolution and biology.

The only way same sex parents can have baby's is by adoption, or medical interference, therefore you can not argue that it is "normal".

I'm not arguing it can't work, just that it isn't normal, and that more care and support needs to go into same sex parenting, it is after all as a concept, largely in it's infancy (pardon the pun) we are yet to see if there are any long term psychological effects for the children of same sex or trans gender couples,compared to children who have grown up with the more traditional mum and dad scenario.

Edited by dannyh (10 Oct 2017 9.42am)

Nick and Hog, for once I can actually see both sides, Nick your right in the fact that Infanticide is not the premise of same sex couples, and in fact is much more common in mothers.

However I am a single parent and have been since my wife died of suicide back in Sep 2014. I have (I like to think) been the best dad I can possibly be, but as my two girls get older, it is quite clear to me that they also need a female role model in their life, a mother figure if you will, girls need a mum, no matter how good I am a father some things are just better done by mum. That's not misogynist it's just a fact, I can't teach the girls how to apply make up, or paint toenails ( although I have let them practice on me, which has raised some eyebrows in the showers lol). I can't advise them on how much a period will hurt as I've never had one, I could go on but I'm not going to insult your intelligence.

As humans we are designed to procreate with each other, to breed, to argue against that is idiocy of the highest order.

Be gay if you like, but if you are gay I don't see why that you should feel entitled to a child ? To have to mums, or two dads, or two trans gender parents who are gender fluid, and wake up one day identifying as a woman, the next a man is not Normal. Normality in this case is backed up by evolution and biology.

The only way same sex parents can have baby's is by adoption, or medical interference, therefore you can not argue that it is "normal".

I'm not arguing it can't work, just that it isn't normal, and that more care and support needs to go into same sex parenting, it is after all as a concept, largely in it's infancy (pardon the pun) we are yet to see if there are any long term psychological effects for the children of same sex or trans gender couples,compared to children who have grown up with the more traditional mum and dad scenario.

Edited by dannyh (10 Oct 2017 9.42am)

The sexual orientation of the offender has absolutely zero to do with his behaviour and what he did to that child.

Fact. You are most at risk of being killed by someone you know.

Next fact. Your greatest risk of being murdered is if you are baby aged less than 12 months and most at risk of being harmed by your biological parents.

How many children do we read about who come to harm by mum's partner or new boyfriend. Could argue our 'progressive' society which accepts children born out of wedlock, divorce and the blended family is to blame.

Personally in an ideal world as dannyh has touched upon a child would be born to and raised by a mother and father. However in some cases where there is neglect and abuse I would rather the child / children be removed and brought up by two parents of the same gender than remain in an environment where their life was at risk or be pushed around the care system.

I believe same sex couples are fully aware that they need to do something extra compared to same sex couples. We have a lesbian at work with a daughter and I know she and her partner make sure the daughter has plenty of male interaction. I would guess it's common for other family members to be highly involved in supporting as well. And LGBT people tend to be well networked so I anticipate there will be a lot of learning going on.

In the UK according to Gingerbread one quarter of families have a single parent (only 2% of whom are teenagers before someone makes a wisecrack). In comparison this must be a very tiny proportion and I can't see how it can be a worse environment. So it makes me wonder why it gets so much attention.