By Alan O'Brien-Myers
Viewpoint
As someone who was adopted by two lesbian moms, I was certainly disappointed to find out that John McCain, a candidate for President of the United States, doesn't "believe in gay adoption."
What's not to believe in? Many gays and lesbians adopt children and create wonderful, loving families. My moms adopted me out of foster care when I was 11 years old. I'm 17 now. I love my family. My moms provide for me in all the ways that other parents provide for their children. We have our problems just like everybody else, but in the end we take care of each other. We believe in each other.
What we don't believe in is John McCain and any other politician who is out of touch with the reality of American families. Not all families are married moms and dads with their biological children. Many children are raised by single parents, unmarried parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and more. What makes these families real is the love and care they have for each other; their commitment to seeing each other through good times and bad.
John McCain says he supports a quicker route to adoption so kids who need homes can get them faster, but he clearly has a bias against my kind of family and all the ones I listed above. If John McCain had his way, my family would not exist. I'm not giving up my family just because John McCain is confused about what really makes a family.
If John McCain really cared about families, he would trust the professionals who have agreed that sexual orientation doesn't affect someone's ability to be a good parent. He would listen to my voice and the voice of many other kids being raised by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents. It's not that our families are better, just that we're basically the same, except in most places the laws don't protect our families very well. If John McCain really cared about families like mine, he would let LGBT people marry the person they love so that all families can be treated equally to others.
My two moms, my little brother and me, we're doing just fine. We could do a little better if we had the support of people like John McCain, who as President or even as a senator has so much power over how other people live their lives. Without his support, we'll keep doing what we've always done – love each other, care for each other, argue like all families, make up like all families and continue to work for a country that really respects all of its people and families.
We'd rather have our next president support us. Wouldn't you?
