The ability to build a family with the person one loves is a blessing. The possibility of this actually happening for some individuals is merely a dream. There are many loving children who dream of the same; to one day have a family of their own. The amount of children waiting for adoption in Florida increases by the day, yet so does the number of qualified parents that have been rejected due to their sexual orientation. In Florida, there is a law that forbids homosexuals from adopting children. This policy is unconstitutional and disagrees with the majority of our nations policies. Because the problem of equal adoption rights for gay/lesbian individuals is so widespread in the United States, Florida officials must change the policy that bans adoption to certain individuals because of their sexual orientation immediately; officials neglect it at their peril.
The policy that bans adoption by homosexuals is unconstitutional and demonstrates to the public eye that Florida officials discriminate against the majority of South Florida's population.
The problem is that Florida is the only state in the United States with a law that specifically forbids adoption by any person who is not heterosexual. In 1977, as part of an antigay movement orchestrated by singer Anita Bryant, Florida legislators banned gays--both individuals and couples--from adopting; challenges in state court have failed to overturn the law. Anita Bryant claimed, "They [gay/lesbians] can only recruit children, and this is what they want to do [and] some of the stories I can tell you about child recruitment would turn your stomach" (qtd. in Ferrero, Frecker, Foster 7). In her journey across the state of Florida, Bryant did several campaigns that involved political speeches and concerts with the purpose of persuading Floridians to support the policy that bans gay adoption in...