Being Gay or Lesbian and Adopting
by Dating Tips
Filed under Gay & Lesbian Issues
Among the many big issues facing gay and lesbian couples today is that of adoption. Many gay couples also want to expand their families by adding a child to it. They have lots of love to share with a child and there seems to be no solid reason why they shouldn’t have the privilege of enjoying children. Years ago, adoption for gay and lesbian couples was next to impossible. However, now it has become much easier for them to bring a child into their families.
With the laws easing up on gays adopting, it isn’t as difficult now to even get an infant. It still seems to be a bit faster to adopt an older child than an infant since everyone wants a newborn. There are also other ways that gay and lesbian couples can go about obtaining a child to add to their families. Some of these routes may even be simpler and faster than going through adoption agencies.
Lesbian couples have a bit of an advantage in that they both have the necessary female reproductive organs. These couples can find a suitable sperm donor and go from there. They can also go to fertility clinics and be artificially inseminated. In this way, they can carry their own children. Sometimes the sperm donor will be a relative of the partner not carrying the baby. In that way, the baby shares blood from both families, just as it would if it were conceived between heterosexual couples.
Obviously, it’s a bit more difficult for gay men to come up with alternative methods for adding a child to their families. After all, they don’t have the “equipment” needed to conceive and carry a child. However, a route that many gay men take to get a child is through the use of a surrogate. The surrogate is usually a good friend of the couple. Sperm can even be donated from one of the men so that there is a blood tie involved.
Gay and lesbian couples tend to make exceptional parents. It could be due to the fact that they had to work so hard to get a child or it just may be that their parental instincts are coming out. For whatever reason, children raised by gay parents are just as well adjusted as kids that come from heterosexual homes. Sometimes, they’re even more adjusted.
Once it became apparent that children weren’t going to be “damaged” by having gay parents and weren’t guaranteed to turn out gay themselves, more adoption agencies were willing to work with gay couples to help them become parents. Something else positive to come out of this is that there are even more children that will be able to have a home with parents that love them and will take care of them because, many times, gay couples are happy to get children of any age. It’s a known fact that as children get older, their chances for being adopted decrease drastically. So, gay couples offer these children much better odds for finally getting a home of their own.
Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Wedding
by Dating Tips
Filed under Gay & Lesbian Issues, Marriage & Weddings
When a gay couple makes the decision that they want to get married, it’s not any different than a straight couple choosing to do so. Therefore, same sex couples can have and enjoy all of the traditions of a typical wedding. Just as all straight weddings are different, each gay wedding isn’t going to be exactly the same as others. They may even start some traditions of their own that other gay couples will follow.
Most people at least think about what sort of wedding they want at some point in their lives, so they may already know what they want. If you’re not one of those people, you’ll want to start thinking about how you want things to be at your wedding. You can start with the theme, colors or type of suits you want, and where you want the reception to be and then go from there.
You’ll want to take care of the location early on. As not all places are suitable for hosting a same-sex wedding, this can take a little bit longer to nail down. Once you’ve got the perfect place booked, that sets the date in stone and makes it easier to plan everything else.
Next, you’ll want to create a guest list. It’s important to figure out how many people you want to invite so you can start doing things like booking tables for the reception and giving numbers to the caterer. The number of people you’re inviting can also affect the location of the wedding. You don’t want to get married at a place that’s too big or too small. The invitations you choose will also be important. Include an RSVP request so you can be certain of your final guests.
Something else that’s going to be very important is to get an official that is registered to conduct a gay wedding. You can choose to have a religious wedding or a more secular one, depending on your beliefs. Keep this in mind when searching for the best person to officiate at the wedding. Once that is completed, your wedding is set.
These are some of the very basic steps of a planning gay wedding (as well as any type of wedding). Once they’re taken care of, you can start to deal with the smaller aspects of the wedding. Consider what sort of music you want to have for the ceremony and get that confirmed. Your wedding attendants will also need to have their clothes chosen so they can be fitted. Also, consider what sort of transportation you’ll want to use in arriving and departing your wedding.
The photographer is important. However, you can always find one of your friends who is handy with a camera to do this for you. The same goes for your cake. If you know a baker, you can probably save a lot of money and get the cake of your dreams.
Once your wedding is all planned, you can sit back and excitedly await the arrival of your special day. It will be one that you and your partner will remember forever.
Make Your Lesbian Relationship Work
by Dating Tips
Filed under Gay & Lesbian Issues
Some women find that being in a lesbian relationship is one of the hardest things they’ve ever attempted. For others, it’s pretty simple and natural. In reality, if you’ve come out of the closet or are still hiding in that far back corner of it, it doesn’t matter. The basics are still the same as with a relationship between a straight couple.
A lesbian relationship still involves 2 people with 2 different personalities. Lesbians don’t just hold hands or do baking together. Just because you’re a lesbian, it won’t increase or decrease your chances of being hurt, feeling depressed or being affected by affairs.
That’s right; a lesbian relationship is a lot like a straight one. The one thing that’s different is society’s pressure on the gay community overall. Granted, straight couples don’t have to endure that unless they’re biracial. A lesbian relationship has ups and downs, just as a straight one does. These are dealt with similarly.
To begin with, it’s not easy being a lesbian. In fact, there are some countries that even ban gay relationships altogether. In the countries that are more democratic, lesbian couples are still fighting for their rights. So, if you and your partner happen to reside in a country that outlaws a public show of affection between gay couples, don’t push this particular envelope. It’s only going to hurt your feelings when you reach for your lover’s hand and she rejects it. That will cause an issue in the relationship.
Many times when your relationship is still new, it’s easy to forget that you’re not the only ones in love on the planet. You can’t get enough of each other. However, eventually that excessive fire is going to burn out a bit and you’ll feel more comfortable than excited with each other. Keep some of that spark alive or you’ll risk becoming bored in your relationship.
Don’t treat your lover as if she’s your best friend only. Treat her romantically as you would your true love. This keeps the love alive as well as the spark.
You and your girlfriend should not withdraw from society on a whole. Don’t try to make the world believe that lesbians are exclusive. Go out and meet other people of all persuasions. Socialize with straight and bisexual people as well as other lesbians. This adds a bit of newness to the relationship and will also work to keep the excitement alive between the 2 of you. Getting out and having fun together with others goes a long way to keeping the relationship fun.
Last, but not least, you and your partner should both have the freedom to be yourselves. Don’t try to change each other. There was something about her that attracted you to your girlfriend initially, and she to you. Why would you want to change any of that? You each need some space for your own personal life as well. In the end, it doesn’t matter how many more gorgeous women are in the world. You and she have committed to each other and that’s what is important.