Mark Maxwell and Tim Young of Winston-Salem, North Carolina are parents to four boys ranging in age from 13 to 24. Despite being life-partners for 20 years and having been legally married in Washington, D.C. this year, Mark and Tim cannot jointly adopt the boys under N.C. law because they are a same-sex couple. Either Mark or Tim is an adoptive parent to their three oldest boys.
WATCH their family’s story:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh1B9Ni9iEk[/youtube]
Just as Mark and Tim evidence in the video, a recent study in Australia by Melbourne University concludes that same-sex parenting has no adverse effects on children:
“An interim report found there was no statistical difference between children of same-sex couples and the rest of the population on indicators including self-esteem, emotional behaviour and the amount of time spent with parents. However, children of same-sex couples scored higher than the national average for overall health and family cohesion, measuring how well a family gets along.”
Mark and Tim are licensed to foster children in North Carolina and are currently caring for their youngest kid. The three older boys were adopted from North Carolina’s foster care system, but because Mark and Tim’s marriage is not recognized by the state of North Carolina, the boys cannot be jointly adopted. Read more about North Carolina’s second-parent adoption law.
CSE was happy to partner with Freedom to Marry on this video project.
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