Monday, Wendie reported that Elton John’s request to adopt a Ukranian boy named Lev were rejected by the Ukranian government because their adoption laws require any prospective adoptive parent to be married, and Ukraine does not recognize homosexual unions as marriage.
But it seems that the issue is not as straightforward as all that. In addition to being too gay, John is also too old, and too foreign. The child also has a mother and an older brother, and therefore is not even eligible for adoption.
In spite of all this, the government has still offered a compromise which would allow John to take guardianship of the boy and supervise his upbringing– along with the boy’s older brother and mother, who have fallen on hard times.
[Ukranian Minister] Yuri Pavlenko has now said that John “has the right and opportunity to invite the family of this boy to visit him, take them under his guardianship and help him grow into a good person”.
“I’d like everyone to be tolerant to this boy,” he said. “This is not an orphan, the child still has a mother and an elder brother and so he cannot be adopted by law.
“He has a difficult fate, like his mother. Help has been provided to his mother to find strength to bring the family back together.”
The proposal would mean that Lev’s mother would be encouraged to visit John in the UK with her two sons.
A source said: “It would be entirely up to the mother if she agreed to this arrangement. It could allow her to stay involved in their upbringing under Elton’s guidance.”
Well, I don’t have much to say, and neither does anyone else apparently from the lack of comments, but I actually went on a missions trip to Kiev, Ukraine and worked in an orphanage, so I have first-hand knowledge in how much these kids need help and support. Not only were most of them wearing worn-out clothing a few sizes too small for them, but they were in dire need of hugs, attention and just love in general. These kids are amazing and simply need someone on their side for a change, and I’m glad Elton wants to help at least one of the thousands of kids out there.
Merc, if I remember correctly from the last sory on this, Elton was doing many fundraisers for this orphanage/hospital when he met and fell in love with the boy, so he’s helping all of them, but only wants one of them for his son.
And seriously, if Yuri had said that the mother of the boy was still alive and the boy was not an orphan IN THE FIRST PLACE, he could have prevented a lot of backlash.