Same-sex couples face many of the same issues as other couples. When a same-sex couple adopts a child, they will often have to deal with many of the challenges of other adoptive families. What might change is the information that is exchanged and the questions that can come up.
Sexuality is one of the issues that is likely to come up after an adoption, or even if you have biological children. Typical mom-and-dad families are what many people are accustomed to seeing. As time goes on, it is becoming more and more common for parents to divorce or for the situation to be something other than that typical arrangement.
If the question of sexuality comes up with your child, you should be prepared to answer some questions. In younger children, this might come up as simply asking why the child has two moms or two dads. In other cases, the questions might be more pointed.
You should make sure that you are open about the facts. If you aren’t comfortable with having the talk, let the child know that. You should also explain that you, the child and the other parent can tackle difficult subjects like this together.
Seeking out a strong support system of people who can help you to address these issues might be beneficial. Ideally, you should start looking for this help before the adoption. In fact, as you are working on the adoption, you should make sure that you get your questions and concerns addressed so that you are ready for the situations that might come up.
Source: FindLaw, “Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Parents: Life After Adoption,” accessed Oct. 13, 2016
