Group of MPs seeks to Preempt the Possibility for Gay Adoption

A group of MPs in the Lithuanian Parliament seeks to preempt the possibility for same-sex adoption or foster care by law. 18 MPs have registered an Amendment to the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that “every child has the natural right to a father and a mother, emanating from sex differences and mutual compatibility between motherhood and fatherhood”.

The proposal seeks to establish that in the course of adoption or foster care procedure the priority is given to the need of a child to have different-sex (foster) parents, who would be able to bear the duties of fatherhood and motherhood in the family.
The new edition of the Law on the Fundamentals of Protection of the Rights of the Child should also entail a provision, stipulating that “the State cannot adopt legal provisions or grant individuals with certain rights, depriving a child of an opportunity to have both a (foster) father and a (foster) mother as a result”.

“The current status of the law does not sufficiently protect the natural right of a child to a father and a mother, thus creating opportunities of ignoring this fundamental interest of a child by giving priority to the rights and interests of third parties. At the same time the natural need of having a father and a mother emanates from a difference between sexes,” – says the explanatory memorandum of the draft Amendment.

According to the drafters of the Amendment, healthy development of a child is conditioned upon the roles of a father and a mother in the upbringing process. “Due to the fact that a mother and a father are inevitably related to the differences between sexes, the roles of a mother and a father can be undertaken only by individuals of corresponding sexes. While dealing with the children related issues, public authorities have to take account of this natural right and interest of a child and not to take away artificially the opportunity from a child to have both a father and a mother. However, the State cannot guarantee that every child will have both a father and a mother,” – state the MPs. According to them, the adoption of the above described Amendment would imply that the State declares its interest in protecting the interests and social environment of a child.

The list of drafters of the Amendment include, inter alia, MPs Rimantas Jonas Dagys (Homeland Union), IrenaDegutienė (Homeland Union), Mantas Adomėnas (Homeland Union), Bronius Bradauskas (Social Democratic Party), Vitalijus Gailius (Liberal Movement) and Petras Gražulis (Justice and Order).