Trans-gender Harisu is having a hard time convincing the adoption agencies that she’ll make a good mom. Hm…I wonder why. And she also got the entire country worked up about gay adoption and concerned citizens are voicing their opinion the best way they know how - writing their thoughts anonymously online. However, reading the arguments online was disappointing because most people state the obvious. For example, proponents support the idea because Harisu is legally female, so she should have the right to adopt or that they believe that this will be best for the child since she/he gets a chance to have a family. The opponents disagree because most of them are disgusted by gay marriages (time to wake up guys - we live in the 21st century!) and because they are worried about the adopted child’s mental health. Very generic, right?
But shouldn’t somebody address that Harisu’s case is a little different because she works in the star biz? First of all, the entire country knows about Harisu’s sexuality, so the adopted child will experience the mental shock we all anticipate by the time the child crawls out of the house. Secondly, Harisu and Mickey Jung do not have a stable job. Star biz is so volatile in Korea that you can be making millions one day and be dirt poor by the end of the month - so it might not be most stable environment for the child. Lastly, the adopted child is going to be watched so closely by the media to see if gay adoption works - so in essence, the adopted child will serve as a ginea pig and the monkey in the cage for the entire country. Imagine living in the gay household with the entire country watching over you. Poor thing! So, as you can see, I’m against Harisu’s adoption not because she is transgender but because she is a transgender star in Korea.
But in the end, this heated debate is not going to matter much since Harisu has the media on her side. With the media documenting every move she makes, they are probably going to make the adoption agencies look so bad and unfair that one of these agencies will have no choice but to give in eventually. Or maybe a very liberal single mom will hand over her child to the new couple. But what do you think? Should Ha Ri-Soo be allowed to adopt given her circumstances?
I tend to look at this from a legal standpoint. She’s been legally acknowledged as a woman, so thus should be treated that way and allowed the life that affords her. However, things are never that simple. I think she’s had a long road thus far and deserves to be happy. Adopting children is one of the bravest things a woman can do. More power to her. I hope they allow her to give some child (or children) a good home.
Bluehottie, your point is moot. From a legal standpoint, no question Ha Ri-Soo should be afforded the same rights as all others that are adjudged to be female. All that means is that Ha Ri-Soo and her husband should be allowed to apply for adoption and the state has the right to determine whether the couple is suitable to be adoptive parents. Like anyone else looking to adopt, this couple must carry the burden of proving that they can provide for the child financially, emotionally, etc. I would consider the same kind of factors that POPSEOUL mentioned and I tend to agree that this publicity-hungry couple probably cannot meet that standard.
She should just come to America. Korea is too conservative.
She should absolutely be allowed to adopt. I’m sad, though unsurprised, that it’s such an issue of controversy.
Sure, the couple might be working in an industry that affords little career stability, but a businessman can be fired. A shopkeeper could go through hard times and be run out of business. The economy could collapse. There could be fires, earthquakes, floods, acts of god. Point is, can she provide for a child now and in the foreseeable future? Does she deserve to be treated like any other citizen? Nobody points the finger at Cha In-Pyo and Shin Ae-ra for adopting despite both parents working in the entertainment industry — in fact, I thought the media couldn’t shut up enough about how benevolent the couple were for adopting. Without making any arguments as to the quality of the work involved, using the argument that Harisu and Mickey Jung are working in a difficult industry to discriminate against a transgender couple is, well, discrimination.
Her marriage looks like a sham. Everything about it was so staged and seemed such a publicity stunt.
I can’t comment on this in a very informed way, not knowing much about Harisu OR Korean adoption standards, but someone’s got to do it first, or it will never be done. Which is not, of course, to say that I think they should necessarily be able to adopt because of that, because ‘breaking new ground’ alone isn’t a good enough reason to do anything.
The most primary concern shouldn’t be Harisu’s sexuality or the nature of their marriage, but whether they can adequately provide financially and emotionally for a child. I don’t actually believe that their financial situation would be so tentative as to be able to invoke that argument. There would be barely a murmur about being able to ‘provide’ if they were able to have their own children. As for the emotional aspect, well that’s what adoption procedures are for. If someone is able to subvert these procedures by pandering to the media, that’s unsatisfactory. Harisu should be made to follow them like everyone else, and the agencies should be careful to not discriminate against her. If they’re found to be unsuitable as adoptive parents under the usual critera, that’s that.
yes yes let her adopt children!
personally, i find it wierd, probably coz I still can’t get past the fact that Harisu used to be a man…
If she can give love..why not?..
Paul, I only said I look at it from a legal stand point cause that’s how I view it. I Wasn’t trying to argue it.
I think she should be able to. It’s her right to! And Amen to what javabeans said about job stability. It IS discrimination to not let them adopt because they’re a transgender couple. Just because they’re a transgender couple doesn’t mean they won’t be able to provide for the child emotionally and financially. They are human too and I don’t see why they have to make such a big deal out of that. Why can’t people just see them as norman human beings rather than judging them by WHAT they are? And there is always a first time for all things.
so what if she’s a transgender, I dont really *like* harisu but if the two really loved each other and now they got married, good for them, and if they want a child, good for them~ since they wanted to be a happy family. I feel sorry too for thier “future” child but then if thats what makes the two happy then why not?
Maybe she would have better luck adopting some kid in Africa.
Without question, she should be allowed to adopt. Considering the status of orphans in this country, clearly, clearly, clearly she should be allowed to adopt.
She’s a star. She’s rich. And she probably will continue to be. And she should be judged by her ability to take care of children now and for the foreseeable future against the fact that parentless children raised in underfunded public facilities have to look forward to a life of discrimination, ostracization, and basically being a social outcast.
Or if a woman, a popular option is prostitution, as a couple orphaned prostitutes I interviewed for the Korea Herald would attest to.
So being Harisu’s kid? Or a veritable social outcast? Either way, you’re adopted, that status is known, and you will suffer some social consequences. I’d pick being a star’s kid over a life spent living without access to most of the resources that even poor “normal” kids get in this country.
And with all the kids that need good homes, umm…a TV/movie star’s seems like a pretty safe bet to me. And how many stars fall so hard and completely that they can’t even maintain at least a normal, middle-class lifestyle?
I’d say whoever gets to live with two star parents would be pretty darn lucky, compared to the life they likely have waiting for them…in Korea.
Just my 20 won…
I think she should be allowed to..it’s her own choice..and her husband’s, plus if they r decent parents, they will take care of their child’s mental health..worse come to worse, they can move out of korea(worse circumstance, since most koreans are attached to their country). Perhaps I would jsut like to think an adoption is a family affair, if the star biz environment in korea is not conducive, then just do sth abt it! I think Ha ri-soo just feels like a woman( no sniggers allowed), and wants what most women want eventually- a child. The job security factor is just not a reason, any job, if it’s not unique enough and in well demand is vulnerable when times r bad for the business.
Why deny her wish to be a mom?
Society should deny Ha Ri-su’s wish to be a mom, if it is not in the best interest of her child-to-be. Obviously, that is not for me, or the media to judge, but for the experts who understand all the variables at play.
A list of celebrities that I personally would not allow to adopt for various reasons: Anna Nicole Smith (especially when she was still alive), Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, Hugh Hefner, Mariah Carey, etc.
Bluehottie: I didn’t mean any offense by my previous post. However, I am struggling to follow you when you state that your conclusion follows from looking at the issue from a “legal standpoint.” I think you may be arguing that Ha Ri-su deserves the equal protection of the law and given the status of a married couple in her (and her husband’s) application to adopt. No one would argue with that. However, there are legal adoptive procedures that a celebrity cannot short-circuit by pandering to the media.
i see the whole ‘transgender star in korea’ is of a slight problem.
Firstly why should she be viewed differently? She was not comfortable as a man and now she has become a woman, which she is comfortable as, and wants to be accepted as that.
Secondly many stars out there hae adopted children, like last year, Angelina jolie and Madonna. There were bad comments here in britain about madonna adopting the child, but does it really matter if dhe could give that child a better life, than he/she was recieving at the time. Yes, the case is slight;y different with harisu.
But she can offer the love like a mother would because she is more feminine than masculine, honestly does it really matter? Yes she is in teh show biz which is an unstable business, but they should and hopely would have thought about having a child is not an easy go with the financial side, they should posiibly plan it all out if not already.
Also it wont affect the child that badly because they will tell their child about her transgender situation. But because homosexuality transgender etc is not accepted that much in korea, the child may have problems at school, but these things can be prevented. she thinks acts and feels like one and even looks like a woman so she can provide love like a mother. ppl need to see the obvious and learen to accept more of teh ‘unnatural’(soz hate using it , but had to in this context)ways of loving..
i honestly think she should be able to.
Well legally she should be allowed to adopt - there is no reason to not allow her to. People say that it will affect her child…but if you look at studies…they have SHOWN & PROVEN that a parent’s sexuality has no effect on how a child views the world. I’ve seen and read studies and watched videos of children whose parents are of a different sexuality than what is known as normal and the kids are much smarter, more intelligent and actually see the world in a much more open-minded way compared to many kids I see today. And seriously - how bad can Harisoo being a transgender affect a child? There are TONS of people who aren’t transgenders that abuse their adopted children…so they’re allowed to adopt? It’s not fair that she can’t live her life because of people who can’t be more open-minded. People who are disgusted by gay marriages that oppose this just need to mind their own business…it’s not your family and it doesn’t affect you - so keep out of it.
Hmm.. seems like a very difficult situation here especially in a conservative society like Korea who frown upon Ha Ri-Soo’s decision on changing her gender in the first place.
From my view though, I can’t really say if whether this is a publicity stunt or if she is sincere about wanting to care and nurture a child. I just hope she can take the responsibility of being able to deal with it and look ahead in the future years to come if they do raise their child.
They must have given it a lot of thought before deciding to adopt so I figure they probably thought it all out. So I say, yes, why not? So long as they can prove they are good parents who can financially support their family and have to stay strong despite the obstacles to come when it comes to media, stress, and society as they think of the child’s future as well as theirs.
Well, they used to make the same arguments about blacks in the US: “It’s not that we’re against marriage/adoption – think about the children.”
It’s the great enabler of disrimination in many societies. Even in Korea – “It’s not like we don’t want to hire blacks in hagwons; it’s the moms who don’t like it. What can we do?”
Sure, the approving board or whatever has to evaluate it on a case-by-base basis, which is what they do, but respected psychologists have abandoned a long time ago that being gay or trangendered is a “disorder” or a “disease”, as has say, the American Psychological Association.
So I don’t think that saying Harisu is somehow unfit BECAUSE she is trangendered is fair, nor do I consider her status as a star itself as making her unfit. Judging from the behavior of many other “normal” stars, they should not even be allowed to CONCEIVE children naturally; I mean, if there were a way to approve such a thing, which there isn’t.
There are many unwed, unfit, unhealthy, undesirable people everywhere – including this society - having kids every day; why should we be so quick to judge someone working so hard to try and get permission to actually raise a kid, since they can’t conceive themselves?
In my experience, the very act of even wanting to adopt a kid is almost qualifications enough, considering the fact that so little thought is given to bringing kids into this world, the birth rate in this country is the lowest on the planet, yet Koreans still stigmatize adoption so much that generally, Koreans would rather go without than adopt.
In one of my Korean lit classes, we were discussing the dynamics of Korean families and stuff…
My professor mentioned something about bloodlines being VERY important in Korean households, and so, along with this, the idea of adoption was something that just wasn’t done outside of “the clan.” One could adopt a sibling’s kids if s/he were to, God forbid, die suddenly. But, to adopt a child who was not of the same tribe was seen as something completely bizarre.
At least, I think this is what she said. It’s been a couple years since I had that class…
Does anyone else know more about this sort of thing?
the bloodline/clan thing is not as prevalent as it used to be (example: hero/youngwoong/jaejoong from tvxq is adopted but that doesn’t seem to have had too bad of an effect. of course, he is the only boy so that might have had something to do with it). the bloodline thing also applies to japan. in any case, that used to be the attitude in the past, but attitudes change.
since dat she’s legally a women, i tink she hv the rights to adopt children.
i believe dat she’ll b a good mother..
jz gv her a chance!!
My moral answer is No!. She’s a Gay man for crying out load and it is not fair for the kids, who will be emotionally damaged by this experience.
NO!…
i totally agree with Popseoul. Maybe if she/he lives in US, yes, because it’s common there but in korea is a new thing.
It may be a new thing for Korea, but with Harisu adopting a child, this can be a push for change, no? Geez, she is registered legally as a female…and I think the child will come to accept it eventually. Having parents is a wonderful thing, even if you’re not blood-related.
it’s a bit kinda weird to have a transgender parent n need 2 call her ‘mum’.
I wonder, can she produce a babby???????? Very complex??????
But up to the technology.
many koreans think of her as a disgrace.i sure do.but after all,we all have rights,dont we?
and im sure she’ll be a good mom.
but imagine your mom used to have a penis!
sure its easy for brangelina to adopt kids around the globe but a transgender?this,im looking forward to.
I don’t know why ppl think it’s such a big deal…I mean Koreans don’t much give a crap about adoptees to begin with so why all of a sudden are they protesting so much…most Koreans are too caught up in the Confucian tradition of bloodlines to have the heart to adopt and actually care for the kid…so who cares if the kid is a little messed up…he or she will at least be richer than the poor kids that grow up in the orphanages and are still messed up because they don’t have any parents….Don’t think I know…I am adopted.
It’s pretty sad that they would rather have one more child suffer in an orphanage, never knowing a parent’s love, than allowing these two to adopt. Homosexuality is nothing new people. It’s been around forever! This has nothing to do with their character or how well they would take care of, and raise, a baby. If they aren’t allowed to adopt then shame on Korea.
The Metropolitician said it best! ^^ Read and learn. Time to open your eyes.