The Daily Mail vs Gay Adoption in 2009: Round 3

A letter from the Press Complaints Commission arrived in the post yesterday. Glen wrote to them following their anti-gay adoption articles in early April arguing that the Daily Mail had implied that the children in question had been taken away from their mother for the purpose of being placed with a gay couple. They wrote to explain that they had assessed Glen’s complaint and decided that there was no breach of the Code of Practice. Apparently they think it’s regrettable that the distinction between the processes of removing and placing a child had not been made clearer, but they didn’t think that what the Daily Mail had printed was likely to mislead its readers. Glen was furious, but accepted the decision.

With perfect timing, this afternoon we saw the articles in today’s Daily Mail. Now they have taken offence at the fact that The Pink Guide to Adoption (published by BAAF) refers to people who are against gay adoption as “retarded homophobes”. Needless to say, they must feel alluded to. Once again, there’s an article and a commentary. And once again, the worst thing of all is the comments that their readers (you know, the ones who aren’t being misled according to the Press Complaints Commission) have left.

The article

The comment from the Daily Mail

In fairness, the words in the BAAF book are unfortunate and probably borne of frustration. But the Daily Mail’s response of referring to the BAAF as “The Adoption Nazis” surely is worse than being called a retarded homophobe?

BBC 3 Counties radio had a slot about the issue this afternoon. Simon, a gay adopter who appeared on the programme, did a very good job of providing a positive angle on the story.

Listen here (for a limited time only). The interview starts around minute 36.

Adoption programmes on Channel 4

Channel 4 here in the UK is doing a series of programmes within their Britain’s Forgotten Children strand. Yesterday they showed “Lost in Care”, a Dispatches special by Rageh Omaar which looked into the different situations of children in care (whether in foster care, kinship care, or in institutions). It was followed by the first of three programmes looking at couples wanting to give children a home, called “Find me a Family”. The following programmes are today (Tuesday) and tomorrow. Wednesday’s programme will be about a gay couple. If you missed “Lost in Care” it’s repeated early on Friday morning, and “Find me a Family” is repeated on More4. Or you can catch them on their online catch-up service if you are in the UK. Check the information on the link above.