Gay Family Values

Title: Gay Family Values
Source: New York Times

Author: TIM PADGETT
Date of Publication: Thursday, Jul. 05, 2007

Summary:

Holly Seely and Christy Allen have been together for seven years and have two children, legally, thanks to the improvements in the laws of Colorado, which allows gay and lesbian partners to adopt children as couples instead of restricting parental rights to one partner. Legalizing partners’ parenthood is a way of recognize homosexuals couplehood. One of the reasons of allowing gays couples to adopt children and not giving them the choice of civil union is the need of finding shelter to abandoned children.

Personal Reaction:

It seems that Colorado has stepped forward in the acceptance of gay rights and family concern. At the beginning of the article the image is quite positive because the adoption has been allowed for homosexuals couples. But reading the article, one realizes that the only reason for this endorsement is the huge amount of children who have been abandoned and have no home. Adoption is a great and delicate issue, and in Colorado they support it. But at the same time, they do not allow civil unions or same-sex-marriage. Though trough adoption Colorado recognizes gays’ couplehood, it still do not make it legal.

Vocabulary:
Bandwagon
noun [C usually singular]
an activity, group, movement, etc. that has become successful or fashionable and so attracts many new people:
a bandwagon effect

measure (JUDGE)
verb [T]
to judge the quality, effect, importance, or value of something:
There is no way of measuring the damage done to morale.

measure
noun [C]
a way of judging something:
Record sales are not always a measure of a singer’s popularity.
We have no accurate measure of the damage.

measure (METHOD)
noun [C usually plural]
a way of achieving something, or a method for dealing with a situation:
What further measures can we take to avoid terrorism?
These measures were designed to improve car safety.
[+ to infinitive] Emergency measures to help the refugees are badly needed.

vindicate
verb [T]
1 to prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong:
The decision to include Morris in the team was completely vindicated when he scored three goals.

2 to prove that someone is free from guilt or blame, after other people blamed them:
[R] They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to vindicate themselves.

vindication
noun [S or U]
The army’s victory is being seen as (a) vindication of their tactics.

Medevac: A MEDEVAC is an abbreviation for “medical evacuation.
Air transport of persons to a place where they can receive medical or surgical care; medical evacuation.
A helicopter or other aircraft used for such transport.
To transport (a patient) to a place where medical care is available.
tantamount
adjective SLIGHTLY FORMAL
tantamount to being almost the same or having the same effect as, usually something bad:
Her refusal to answer was tantamount to an admission of guilt.
endorse (SUPPORT)
verb [T]
1 to make a public statement of your approval or support for something or someone:
The National Executive is expected to endorse these recommendations.
FORMAL I fully endorse (= agree with) everything the Chairperson has said.

2 to appear in an advertisement, saying that you use and like a particular product:
They paid $2 million to the world champion to endorse their new aftershave.

endorsement
noun [C or U]

crosshairs
plural n. a pair of fine wires or lines crossing at right angles at the focus of a gun sight, for use in positioning, aiming, or measuring.

misfire
verb [I]
1 If a gun misfires, the bullet fails to come out.

2 When an engine misfires, the fuel inside it starts to burn at the wrong moment:
There was a loud bang, like the sound of an engine misfiring.

3 If a plan misfires, it does not have the result that was intended:
The boy’s death was the result of a practical joke that misfired.

boost
verb [T]
to improve or increase something:
The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices.
I tried to boost his ego (= make him feel more confident) by praising his cooking.

boost
noun [C usually singular]
when something is boosted:
The lowering of interest rates will give a much-needed boost to the economy.
Passing my driving test was such a boost to my confidence.

booster
noun [C]
1 something which improves or increases something:
a confidence/morale booster.

2 an engine on a spacecraft that gives extra power for the first part of a flight:
a rocket booster

3 an additional small amount of a drug given to strengthen the effect of the same drug given some time before, to protect a person from illness:
a polio booster

recruit
verb [T]
to persuade someone to work for a company or become a new member of an organization, especially the army:
Charities such as Oxfam are always trying to recruit volunteers to help in their work.
Even young boys are now being recruited into the army.
an army recruiting centre/officer

recruit
noun [C]
a new member of an organization, especially the army:
Raw recruits (= completely new soldiers) were trained for six months and then sent to the war front.

recruitment
noun [U]
The recession has forced a lot of companies to cut down on graduate recruitment.
It’s all part of a recruitment drive intended to increase the party’s falling numbers.

erode
verb [I or T]
1 to rub or be rubbed away gradually:
Wind and rain have eroded the statues into shapeless lumps of stone.

2 to slowly reduce or destroy:
His behaviour over the last few months has eroded my confidence in his judgement.
bolster (SUPPORT)
verb [T]
to support or improve something or make it stronger:
More money is needed to bolster the industry.
She tried to bolster my confidence/morale (= encourage me and make me feel stronger) by telling me that I had a special talent.

comply
verb [I] FORMAL
to act according to an order, set of rules or request:
He’s been ordered to have the dog destroyed because it’s dangerous, but he refuses to comply.
There are serious penalties for failure to comply with the regulations.

compliance
noun [U]
1 FORMAL when people obey an order, rule or request:
It is the job of the inspectors to enforce compliance with the regulations.
The company said that it had always acted in compliance with environmental laws.

2 MAINLY DISAPPROVING the tendency to be too willing to do what other people want you to do:
It’s his compliance that amazes me.

compliant
adjective FORMAL
willing to do what other people want you to do:
a compliant child