Equality Illinois ( EQIL ) introduced a new talk series, Growing Your Family: A Guide for Prospective LGBT Adoptive Parents, on Jan. 13 with co-host Cradle; local adoption agency. Rosemary Mulryan of EQIL and Dori Fujii of Cradle teamed together to inform the group of approximately 50 prospective parents about the adoption process.
In addition to the launch of Growing Your Family, EQIL released an adoption guide Jan. 14 which is accessible via its website alongside other guidebooks. The adoption guide includes helpful information including Illinois adoption laws, an agency guide, and adoptive parents' rights.
The Growing Your Family presentation gave potential parents a snapshot into the adoption process including an explanation of the types of adoption, adoption costs, and other topics to prepare everyone for the decision to adopt. The majority of the talk focused on teaching options and what to expect as adoptive parents.
With the lessening of issues faced by LGBT couples looking to adopt, not as much time was needed to dedicate to this piece. Potential parents were informed that issues don't often come up during adopting process but down the road in parenthood. Two issues identified that remain for LGBT parents is the need to prove legal parenthood in the case of emergency and supporting child and self through a "second coming out," articulated Fujii.
"Families often express a need for more LGBT specific parent training," explained Fujii.
"[But] in Illinois, the law is on our side," expressed Mulryan. Mulryan went on to express the relative ease for LGBT adoptive parents in Illinois. Chicago especially, she sited, has an abundance of LGBT specific resources from which to choose, including EQIL, as well as more allies such as Cradle.
Fujii provided gave examples of reasons why birth parents have given for choosing LGBT parents: LGBT couples can be chosen based on their perceived as understanding of adversities and will likely be understanding and supportive of a child that may be different. Another reason given, Fujii explained, is that adoptive parents' LGBT identity was a non-issue and another element of identity, values, or life experience trumped birth parent( s )' decision or the birth parents recognize many LGBT couples wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to parent.
Equality Illinois associates identified the event as a relative success for its first talk and intend on having further seminars in the future.
For resource guides visit www.eqil.org .