FOUR years ago, Kim Brown and Leanne Lorrance made the biggest decision of their lives, adopting a baby. However, it was while going through the adoption process that they saw the difficulties and stereotypes attached to gay couples adopting children. Among the stereotypes is the fact that gay couples aren’t the perfect role models for their children. Then there is the lingering problem of a culture, long imbued with the belief that children need the complementary roles that mothers and fathers provide.
The Durban North residents recently set up the Gay Adoptions Facebook page in the hope of encouraging more gay couples to adopt. It all started with an email from a gay couple asking whether being gay would make a difference to an adoption agency.
“Firstly it brought back memories but it was also an eye opener. Did gay couples still worry about that? Would they be discriminated against? So we set up the Facebook page to raise awareness on the stigma attached to gay parents but at the same time, promote gay adoptions.
“Four years ago, when we decided to go through the process, there had only been one gay adoption in the Durban area. I’m not sure what those figures are now but gay couples are scared of the adoption process,” Lorrance said.
Her partner, Kim recounted they received a mixed response early in their adoption journey. “There were a lot of adoption agencies that never even returned our phone calls. Or they were very cagey in their responses.
“There are thousands of children out there who need a loving home and it makes no difference whether it’s a gay or heterosexual couple who can provide that. We have children that need homes, we have parents that want to give homes and yet the adoption process makes it harder for gay couples to adopt,” Kim said.
