Ukrainian authorities have denied homosexual pop star Elton John and his Canadian partner, David Furnish, the possibility of adopting a 14-month-old boy who they met on Saturday at the Makeyevka orphanage for children of HIV-positive parents near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
DONETSK, Ukraine, September 15, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Ukrainian authorities have denied homosexual pop star Elton John and his Canadian partner, David Furnish, the possibility of adopting a 14-month-old boy who they met on Saturday at the Makeyevka orphanage for children of HIV-positive parents near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
“Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children … and the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years,” said Ukraine’s family, youth and sports minister, Yuriy Pavlenko. “The law is the same for everybody: for a president, for a minister, for Elton John.”
Ukraine does not recognize same-sex “marriage” and only married couples can adopt according to the law.
British media said the 62-year-old musician, who “married” his much younger partner David Furnish in 2005 in one of Britain’s first same-sex ceremonies, wanted to adopt 14-month-old Lev from the orphanage, because “he has stolen my heart.”
“David always wanted to adopt a child and I always said no because I am 62 and I think because of the traveling I do and the life I have, maybe it wouldn’t be fair for the child,” John told the media.
“But having seen Lev today, I would love to adopt him. I don’t know how we do that but he has stolen my heart.”
The mainstream media scramble to report the intentions of the homosexuals to adopt the child failed to report that John had not submitted an application to adopt Lev. A spokeswoman for the Makeyevka city council said today in a RIA Novosti report, “We have received no documents from Elton John for the adoption of any of our children as yet.”
“We have heard from media that he was going to adopt a boy from our orphanage, but he did not apply to us as yet,” she said, adding Ukrainian laws do not permit such an adoption.
Another wrinkle in the plan appeared when the Daily Mail reported that baby Lev is not really an orphan, and that his mother, who is reported to be HIV positive and a drug addict, may still “exercise her right to raise the child, subject to approval by social services. Lev’s absent father or grandparents might do the same.”
Ukraine’s laws against adoption by homosexual couples have a solid backing in research on the question. The harmful effects of homosexual adoption to the children involved was aptly demonstrated in a study carried out in Spain by pro-life association Hazte Oir (Make Yourself Heard), together with the Spanish Forum for the Family and the Institute for Family Policy.
The report, titled “Report on Infantile Development in Same-Sex Couples,” gathered and compared information from a vast number of studies carried out on the issue and concluded that, “In no way can a couple of persons of the same sex be judged suitable for adopting a child. Considering the findings of this vast bibliography we are obliged to protect the minor and say that same-sex couples must not be allowed to adopt children.”
Among children raised by same-sex couples, the report noted a significant increase in low self-esteem, stress, confusion regarding sexual identity, an increase in mental illness, drug use, promiscuity, STD’s, and homosexual behavior, amongst others.
Furthermore, the report showed that statistics have brought to light the fact that same-sex relationships betray a much higher instance of separation and break-up than heterosexual relationships, increasing the likelihood that the child will experience familial instability.
In addition to basic concerns about the propriety of homosexual adoption as such, Elton John, well known for his homosexual activism and for his widely publicized proclamation that he wished he could “ban religion completely,” has in the past also come under suspicions of possessing child pornography.
In 2007, according to media reports, police seized a photographic image that belonged to John’s private collection from an art gallery in Tyneside on suspicion of breaching child pornography laws. The photo, by controversial photographer Nan Goldin, was titled “Klara and Edda Belly-Dancing” and depicted two young girls, with one of them lying naked with legs open on the floor. The photograph was apparently one of many by Goldin – known, according to The Telegraph, “for her shots of young, semi-clothed girls” as well as other controversial subjects – that John owns. In the end, however, authorities decided that the photo was not “indecent” and dropped the case.
UPDATE
Thought I’d add this piece from the Daily Mail, reflecting on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church position, which I found rather refreshing:-
Elton John ‘is a sinner’: Church attacks singer over his plan to adopt Ukrainian baby boy
Elton John was branded a ‘sinner’ by the Orthodox Church in Ukraine last night in the row over his wish to adopt a baby from the country.
The comment came after officials confirmed there has been no application yet for the 62-year-old singer to adopt Lev, a 14-month-old boy whose mother has HIV.
However, at least one government source speculated that liberal politicians might seek to put a law through the Ukrainian parliament to enable the pop star to circumvent curbs which comprehensively forbid him from adopting.
The Donetsk Diocese of the Orthodox Church was uncompromising in its stance against any move to help the singer and his partner David Furnish, who entered into a civil partnership in 2005.
Spokesman Father Georgy Gulyaev said: ‘Thank God it’s impossible under Ukrainian law for Elton John to adopt a child.
‘The Church is strictly against same-sex marriages and the damage they cause. It’s written in Holy Scriptures that homosexual marriage and relations is a sin.
‘It is a sin, it is against nature, and it represents the dead end of human development.
‘People pretend to have good intentions, create semi-marriages and so-called families, and moreover they dare to adopt children. Unlike people who are blessed by God to create natural families, these are people who succumb to their passions.
‘This is definitely a sin, there is no other word for it, and the church will never agree that people who have created same-sex “marriage” could also dare to adopt children.
‘This applies to all, including Elton John. He is a sinner.’
Sir Elton said on Saturday that Lev had ‘stolen my heart’. He met the child at a Ukrainian children’s home during an event to support youngsters with HIV though his Aids charity.
Ukraine’s family minister, Yuriy Pavlenko, said: ‘Officially, Elton John has not approached the ministry or any other authority with a request to adopt the child at the Makeyevka orphanage.
‘In any case, if there were such a request from Elton John we would have to refuse.’
Mr Pavlenko said that both Sir Elton and Mr Furnish, who is about to turn 47, were too old to adopt.
Under Ukrainian law, adoptive parents must be less than 45 years older than the child. The country also does not see same-sex relationships as marriage or a stable and suitable relationship for adoption.
Mr Pavlenko said the singer’s gesture should instead be seen as a call to Ukrainians to adopt children born to HIV parents.
The country, one of Europe’s poorest, has an exceptionally high rate of infection.
‘The only way would be if parliament adopts a separate special law on making Elton John an adoptive parent of this particular child,’ he said.
‘But, frankly speaking, we would be against this if such a law were to be initiated.’
Blogging sites in Ukraine had already suggested that the Elton John case could be a way of changing the adoption laws in the country.
But Mr Pavlenko said: ‘Foreign citizens who are single have no right to adopt children. And the age difference between the adopter and the child cannot be more than 45 years.
‘The law is the same for everybody: For a president, for a minister, for Elton John.’
A spokesman for the singer said he had no comment on the minister’s remarks.
Tags: Christianity, News