By John K. on March 30, 2011
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0330/1224293350640.html
Foster family: Patrick Bracken and Dave Thomas at their home in Arklow, Co Wicklow.Photograph: Eric Luke
Six years ago, DAVE THOMAS and his partner decided to become foster parents – but as a gay couple, they faced and uphill struggle. Here, he recalls the obstacles they overcame to provide a family for children in need
WE FIRST thought about fostering six years ago. Patrick and I wanted children, but gay couples in Ireland aren’t allowed to adopt, which seemed unfair. So we discussed fostering, which is allowed.
It would be another two years before we would apply. In that time, we wondered whether we would be able to cope with the challenging behaviour of a damaged child. How would it affect our private lives? Would people talk about us in a negative way? Continue reading »
Posted in Media watch, TV programs Tagged Adoptees, All sessions (pink), Intercountry, Parenting, TV, USA
By John K. on March 1, 2011
http://www.rte.ie/tv/greysanatomy/programmes.html
http://www.rte.ie/tv/greysanatomy/previously.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413573/episodes#season-7
Mark, the biological father, and Arizona, the same-gender partner, have to find a way to co-habitate with Callie, plan for the way their alteratove family will function in spite of a systematic animosity between the first two.
Then a life changing and life saving decision needs to be taken, which exposes the fact that Arizona is “no one” to Callie in the eyes of the law, and has no legal say. Continue reading »
Posted in Media watch, TV programs Tagged Adoptees, All sessions (pink), Intercountry, Parenting, TV, USA
By John K. on October 12, 2010
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1011/1224280783188.html
CAROL COULTER Legal Affairs Editor
INDEPENDENT BODIES will be licensed to carry out assessments for adoption, allowing the Health Service Executive to divert social work resources away from adoption assessments and into child protection and family support work, the Minister of State for Children has said.
Barry Andrews told a conference of the International Adoption Association at the weekend that the Adoption Act provides for the establishment of accredited bodies to support the adoption process. Continue reading »
Posted in Adoption process, Articles, Media watch, The law Tagged Adoption stages, All sessions (pink), Legislation
By Noel on September 1, 2010
http://www.gcn.ie/feature.aspx?articleid=2895§ionid=15
Following much criticism from gay and lesbian groups, Modern Family’s gay couple are finally set to share a romantic smooch.
Producers say that was a mere accident that the couple, played by Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, didn’t kiss during season one, but they plan to make good on it during the upcoming season.
“We’ve had an episode planned for a long time that dealt with that subject of (their being affectionate),” producer Steve Levitan told US entertainment network E!.
“So it almost bothers us that there was a little bit of controversy about it. Because we don’t want to appear that we’re answering that criticism. But sure enough, we’re dealing with public displays of affection, and the power of a kiss. Seems simple, but intriguing – I hope.”
The kiss will air when the show returns to it’s prime time slot in the U.S next month.
Posted in Media watch, TV programs Tagged Adoptees, All sessions (pink), Intercountry, Parenting, TV, USA
By Irish Pink Adoptions on August 21, 2010
There is a framework for Intercountry Adoption, which all practitioners know very well, and use very well: http://www.aai.gov.ie/index.php/intercountry-adoption/standard-framework-for-ica.html
But it does not provide specific guidance for every specific “adoptive community”. And the LGBT community is nothing but ordinary.
There is guidance to deal with single adoptive parents, married couples, people who cannot speak enough English, people who had to deal with grief or fertility issues. But not much for LGBT people.
This post is open to comments, and will be updated to provide guidance to the adoption professionals who are interested.
They can post questions, and anyone can post suggestions.
Here is, for a start, a list of obvious things Continue reading »
Posted in Adoption process, FAQ, Tools Tagged Adoption facilitators, All sessions (pink), Books, LGBT
By Noel on August 1, 2010
Gay Dads, David Strah with Susanna Margolis,
Penguin Group (USA) inc, 2004 |
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| Relevance to Ireland |   |
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| Another book from and about the USA, but because it is testimonial based, it has some universal relevance. But a lot is so dated that it does not take into account that people are more accepting of gay couples in Ireland, but that legally we are still backward, and that it is very unlikely that the adoptees profile will be anyting liek what these stories depict. Also the legal differences make the choices more restricted. |
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| Relevance to 'pink adoptions' | |
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| You'd think that it could not be more relevant! (For men), but an Irish gay man can feel miles away from this America, or they can feel very close! |
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| Readability | |
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| Easy reading, quick and diverse. The persistent racist terminology is unavoidable in such books, but still annoying. |
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| Rigor in the research/documentation | |
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| Not sure if it is really supported by a view on pink adoptions, or just a set of testimonials rearranged a bit artificially. Such books always have a theory behind them, and it is not clear which theory it is. Some of the motivations presented by some of the stories are borderline disturbing. (E.g., choosing the gender of the child) |
| Overall |  |
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| A good read to feel better about the prospect of being a pink household. |
Posted in Books, Reviews Tagged All sessions (pink), Books, Foster care, Gay men, Kinship, LGBT, Pink, Reviewed, Testimonials, USA
By Irish Pink Adoptions on June 29, 2010
Pressure groups for equal rights to marry have not come up with a strong public symbol.
This one is simple: a white knot.
Call the campaign: white knot, why not?
But it is just an American fad? Or can it be worn by us all, within a week?
No need to buy them: just pin a white ribbon made form a strip of white fabric.
And when asked at work, or at home, why you do it, simply answer that you believe that marriage is a human right, and that you are human too. And that it is time the government noticed.
Why not send one to your TD/Senator as well?
Original USA campaign: http://whiteknot.org
http://whiteknot.org/map-knots.html
FAQ: where can I find the white knots?
Not the same as: White ribbon
Posted in The law, Websites Tagged All sessions (pink), Ireland, Lobbying, Marriage, Reviewed, White Knot
By Irish Pink Adoptions on April 7, 2010
It can be read for free here: http://ns3.ucc.ie/en/appsoc/resconf/cstj/gender/DocumentFile,76670,en.pdf
| Same-sex marriage or partnership and adoption: debate for Ireland, Eimear Kavanagh, B.Soc.Sc., Critical Social Thinking: Policy and Practice, Vol. 1, UCC, 2009 |
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| Relevance to Ireland | |
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| An Irish study, looking at the modern Irish situation. |
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| Relevance to 'pink adoptions' | |
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| If same-gender families can marry, then they can adopt domestically, and they can more easily adopt internationally (in some cases). |
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| Accessibility | |
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| Very clear. |
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| Rigor | |
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| Very detailed. Maybe too much focus on GLEN's point of view. A more diverse point of view could have allowed an interesting exploration of disagreements within th gay community, but it may have risked to dissolve the point made by the study: parents can be good parents regardless of their sexuality, and children deserve to have their parent's relationship recognized as valid. |
| Overall | |
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| A very good argumentation in support of same-gender parenting. |
Posted in Publication, Reviews Tagged All sessions (pink), Free, Ireland, Pink, Reviewed, Study
By Irish Pink Adoptions on February 25, 2010
Gay men choosing parenthood, Gerald P. Mallon,
Colombia University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-231-11797-3 |
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| Relevance to Ireland | |
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| As most books in this area, it is either about the USA or the UK. This book is about the USA, and more specifically New York City and Los Angeles. |
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| Relevance to 'pink adoptions' | |
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| It is a 'grounded' study, interviewing real gay men who have chosen to become parent via adoption. it has hugely inspired the structure of the 'testimonials page' here |
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| Readability | |
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| Not the most pleasant of reads. A bit messy, a bit clinical, a bit repetitive too. |
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| Rigor in the research/documentation | |
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| Very well documented and researched. But it is relying a bit too much on very old data and some outdated theories. I am not sure that Kinsey's 1948 conclusions can still stand unexamined. |
| Overall | |
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| A good read if you want to acquire a more technical background on the stages of adoption, but even the testimonials lack of warmth. |
Gay men choosing parenthood
Posted in Books, Reviews Tagged Adoption stages, All sessions (pink), Books, Foster care, Gay men, Kinship, LGBT, Pink, Reviewed, Study, Testimonials, USA
It can be read for free here:
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