President Barack Obama on Tuesday
backed adoption by gay men and lesbians in a proclamation declaring
November National Adoption Month.
“As a Nation, one of our highest
responsibilities is to ensure the health and well-being of our
children. With generous hearts and open minds, we strive to make
sure all children grow up knowing they have a family that shares with
them the warmth, security, and unconditional love that will help them
succeed. And yet, more than 100,000 children in America await this
most basic support, and still more children abroad live without
families. During National Adoption Month, we celebrate the acts of
compassion and love that unite children with adoptive families, and
we rededicate ourselves to the essential task of providing all
children with the comfort and safety of a permanent home.”
“With so many children waiting for
loving homes, it is important to ensure that all qualified caregivers
are given the opportunity to serve as adoptive parents, regardless of
race, religion, sexual orientation, or marital status,” the
president
wrote.
Last week, New York Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand announced she would introduce a bill to
bar discrimination against gay couples who want to adopt.