Trans people have the ‘resilience and tenacity’ to adopt
An adorable video with a trans man and his son has been launched to encourage more LGBT people to adopt children.
In it, father-of-one Alex told the audience: “If you’re trans and think you can’t adopt – think again.
“It doesn’t matter who you are; it’s where you’ve come from and how you’ve dealt with it.”
The video was launched today by charity New Family Social to mark the start of LGBT Adoption & Fostering Week.
Despite one in 10 adopted children in England going to same-sex couples last year – a record high – there are still 70,000 children in care.
Around 9,000 people are needed to fill this gap, and Alex said trans people were well-suited to the challenges of being a carer or parent.
“The fact that you’ve come through transition and you’re now functioning in society quite happily means you’ve got a lot of resilience, a lot of tenacity and a lot of inner strength.
“Vulnerable children need to figure out their identity and trans people have done that already.
Alex said the only other qualities a prospective parent needs are “the ability to have a good laugh at yourself and do things you never imagined you might do but you’ll give it a try anyway.”
He added with a smile that “you’ve got to be open to welcoming a little stranger into your house and watching them turn your life upside down.”
Tor Docherty, chief executive of New Family Social, said his organisation was “delighted that the proportion of same-sex couples adopting in England rose to an all-time high last year.
“But it’s vital that agencies also consider how they reach out to everyone who identifies as LGBT.
“We hope our latest film will help them to engage more trans people and support them through the process.”
For more information, visit New Family Social’s website or the hashtags #proudtoadopt and #proudtofoster.
