I recently watched the film entitled Any Day Now directed by Travis Fine and written by Travis Fine and George Arthur Bloom. The movie stars Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt who play a gay couple that are granted custody of a boy with Down syndrome after his mother is sent to prison. The movie is a touching and honest account of the trials and tribulations that the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community faced in terms of how society saw them. Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope) were excellent in their roles as Rudy Donatello and Paul Fleiger.
Here is the trailer for the movie:
I made a conscious decision not to raise a family – that decision wasn’t because I felt I couldn’t, because I know I would be a great father, it was because I didn’t want to. After watching this film, many emotions surfaced on the topic of gay adoption and how society views same-sex couples. There are many people who believe that gay men and women would not make great parents because of their lifestyle. Many believe that it is a perverted and deviant lifestyle and that we are all pedophiles who only love to have promiscuous sex. They believe the stereotypes because that is all they know of what it is to be born homosexual. Yes, there are same-sex couples who are not fit to have children just as there are heterosexuals who are also not fit to raise children. It is not difficult to have a child, anyone can do it. Not anyone can provide a loving and nurturing home however, if there are loving, committed people (who happen to be of the same-sex) that can do so, why are so many still not allowed to do so? I believe it is because of the social stereotypes that are associated with being gay or lesbian (we know what they are). I also believe that religion plays a big factor on the issue of homosexuality – many people have interpreted the bible to justify their hate, bigotry and intolerance for homosexuals which, in turn, perpetuates those stereotypes.
Basically – isn’t it in societies best interest to find a home for so many children in foster care? Here are some statistics:
In the U.S. 400,540 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system. 115,000 of these children are eligible for adoption, but nearly 40% of these children will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted.
Around the world, there are an estimated 153 million orphans who have lost one parent. There are 17,900,000 orphans who have lost both parents and are living in orphanages or on the streets and lack the care and attention required for healthy development. These children are at risk for disease, malnutrition, and death.
Reference: http://www.ccainstitute.org/why-we-do-it-/facts-and-statistics.html
With these types of statistics, why is there so much ‘red-tape’ in finding permanent, loving and stable homes for these children – including those who are in same-sex relationships? When will society (along with religious institutions and government) act on the best interests of these children and resolve to finding loving and nurturing homes for them? I believe that there are enough people who want to provide homes for these children – that isn’t the problem. The problem is the process and all the ‘red-tape’ involved which only further hurts all those children who are waiting to be adopted by those who have so much love in their hearts to give.
Thank you to Travis Fine and George Arthur Bloom for their inspirational words. Thanks to Travis Fine for making such a great and important film and thank you to all the actors (especially Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt) who gave all their passion to bring the words and emotions of Travis Fine and Arthur Bloom to life. You are all conduits for positive change in this world.
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 