Queering the Family Tree

[mcqueen625]

However, be that as it may, I what I call to question is that while homosexuals can be in a family tree, they themselves cannot reproduce another tree.

Hi Thelonoius,

Well, it depends whether you feel adopted children should be in a family tree. If they don't belong then some friends of mine would have a rather short tree since they don't know who their real parents are. However, it sounds like they are trying to broaden the family tree to include all people that you consider 'like family' which is not necessarily bad but you would never end up with a tree: it would look more like the 'family matrix'.

I guess I agree with you. It is one thing to ask that gay relationships be treated the same as hetrosexual relationships. It even makes sense to create a family tree that includes adoptions by gay couples, however, inventing something new and calling it a family tree is kind of silly.

A family tree is just that, a family tree, and adoptive children, although sometimes included are never really biologically part of that family and can't be part of the family tree since they are biologically related. Often times when people search their family tree it is to establish health histories. I know when I had my first heart attack the doctors all wanted to know what my family's medical history was, and since I have 2 brothers and one sister who were adopted, along with 2 biological sisters and a half sister (different fathers), the doctors were only interested in any biological relatives. Ithink it is important at some point for children to be told that they are adopted, and special. Allowing them to continue believing that they are really related is deceiving, and could in the end be harmful to a person, especially if their biological parents have hidden medical conditions that these kids need to know about.

Sure kids can be adopted, and be part of a family but the ties are only so deep. Obviously to gays or two lesbians getting together and adopting children, the child still needs to know their biological family for medical purposes. Maybe that is why more and more adopted kids are finding it much easier to find out about biological relatives, and it it very important stuff, especially if an illness occurs. I'm not saying same-sex couples don't and can't make good parents, but is far more important that the children know where they came from biologically.