Richard James2 said:I don't know the political landscape in France all that well, but I am absolutely certain that this much of an uproar wouldn't even remotely surface if they hadn't first engaged in some blatant "Parent A and Parent B" brainwashing to warp people's perception of reality. Now, looking at the most recent data, support for adoption has dropped by about 6% since the start of the François Hollande era (with those supporting marriage equality sitting at roughly 15%), while about 66% of French citizens are calling for a referendum. They haven't earned that kind of pushback; pretending this is some sudden, shocking surprise is just plain delusional.
It’s also pretty fascinating to see how people outside of religious circles are reacting to this. You've got an entire wave of psychologists, philosophers, lawyers, and intellectuals joining the fray, along with about 12,000 mayors and registrars demanding the right to conscientious objection when asked to perform these marriages—a right you don't even have in Canada, for instance. Even some homosexuals have weighed in, specifically those organized under the plus gay sans mariage association, which the broader LGBT community is now accusing of being homophobic. 😁
Now, look. The fact that something becomes legal because of a policy decision made by democratically elected bodies is something that deserves respect. Personally, the idea of John and Jack signing a piece of paper doesn't mean much to me in the grand scheme of things. However, I view adoption as an issue that will remain subject to debate until the end of time. Let's be real: the state isn't necessarily driven by noble or altruistic motives when it comes to altering social structures. We aren't naive enough to pretend laws are born from deep philosophical contemplation; they are products of political maneuvering and financial interests. That is why I believe it is vital to leave room for public discourse and, as much as possible, the input of independent experts. We need to avoid reaching that Canadian level of intolerance where people are effectively gagged under the threat of legal sanctions. Honestly, that kind of suppression worries me far more than the mere legalization of any specific practice, and it looks like we are heading straight for it.
Btw, this could probably be merged with the current topic.
Not in the Netherlands either—actually, if marriage equality is legalized—or rather, if we aren't talking about "gay marriage" but simply expanding the definition of marriage to include any two people—why should anyone be allowed to refuse to perform it? If their morals get in the way, they can just find another job where it isn't an issue.
The "parent 1, parent 2" model has already been in place in Spain for seven years, and I don't see it having had any significant impact on anything it was supposed to affect... because logically, if they have same-sex parents, they won't be acting as "mother" and "father," but simply as parents. And that "parent 1, 2" setup exists in the UK too... where, on the birth certificates of female partners who had children via IVF, the sperm donor isn't listed as a "parent."