We Look Forward to Being Grandmothers
Our daughter, Amanda, was born on April 19, 1989. She came home to us on May 9, 1989 at just 20 days old. We had to overcome several obstacles in the adoption process to complete this adoption. We believe it was the first private adoption by a gay/lesbian couple in the state of Minnesota.
Our agency first told Arlene to apply as a single parent, then when we appeared on a local television station two months later, as a "long-term, successful, same-sex couple" the agency contacted Arlene to say she had lied to them about her status. They did not say we couldn't adopt, but that we had to be open about our relationship in our home study. We did that by identifying that we were partners for nine years. Our home study was then approved.
Later, the agency placed an addendum on our home study which, among other things, said "since our relationship was not recognized by the state of Minnesota, there was no guarantee we would stay together long enough to raise a child." Well, duh!! Has anyone seen the divorce rate lately?
As it turned out, Amanda was born on our anniversary and we are still together. She is eighteen now, just started college, and on her way to being an art major. She had one main criteria for her college choice -- that she could live at home. She thinks she has great parents and likes being around us. She is also very active in our church, sings, has a lot of friends, and finished the last two years of high school as a cyber student in a school that had a performing and fine arts program that she loved. Recently, she wrote a paper for her college speech class about how gays and lesbians make better parents.
Go figure .......
We love her dearly and feel absolutely blessed that God put us all together. We look forward to being grandmothers.
Jacquie and Arlene
Nov. 28, 2007