Big Thumbs Down to the Ukraine.

Elton John and his partner of many years, David Furnish, have decided they wanted to adopt a child from an orphanage in the Ukraine. This child is a special needs child as he is HIV positive. This child has a very small likelihood of being adopted (only 30 HIV positive children have been adopted in the last 2 years according to the article.) And yet... under the conditions that he is not "legally married" and "too old," he is being denied the ability to give this child a loving home and an incredible opportunity at a very happy and stable life. Let's hear it for Yuriy Pavlenko, Minister of Family, Youth and Sports in the Ukraine, as well as Ukranian law and the Happy Child Foundation (oh, the irony) who are standing in the way of making this dream come true. If this were Brad and Angie, it's sure that they would be encouraged to make multiple adoptions. But no, this is clearly a case of gay discrimination (gay marriage and other civil unions aren't recognized in the Ukraine, and even if they were, those interviews seem to be opposed to it anyway.) I honestly don't see Elton and his partner doing this as some kind of publicity stunt. And while I recognize that a celebrity adoption one child from a foreign orphanage doesn't help the world entirely, at least he's willing to open his heart and home to someone who might otherwise never be adopted, never know what having parents is, and essentially live as much more difficult life. Shame on you, Ukraine (but let me not point all my fingers at you, as I realize we here in the U.S. have many strides to make as well...)