By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Should transgender people be allowed to adopt a child or not?
Pros and cons are being debated on the Internet after Harisu, a transgender entertainer who changed her sex from male to female, has faced difficulty in adopting a child.
Harisu will be married to her boyfriend Mickey Jung in about a month.
Harisu, born male in 1975, underwent sex reassignment surgery in 1998 and has worked as a model, singer and actress. In 2002, the Inchon District Court legally recognized Harisu as female and she changed her legal name to a female one.
When announcing her marriage plan, she expressed her hope to adopt four children.
However, despite people congratulating her on her marriage, many still think it is inappropriate for her to be a mother.
Producers of ``Harisu’s wedding story _ baby, darling, honey,’’ a program on Mnet cable channel about the couple’s wedding preparation, contacted several adoption centers.
They provided Harisu’s information such as financial capability, her marriage plan, her personality and her strong will to adopt. However, they did not mention that she is transgender. None of the adoption centers said she would have any problem adopting.
However, when the producers disclosed the person was Harisu, the centers evaded giving clear answers.
After the program was aired, Internet users began debating the issue.
According to Mnet’s poll, 69 percent of about 1,300 respondents were in favor of her choice to adopt as of yesterday. But according to a poll by Daum, 58 percent of 8,094 respondents disagreed.
Those consenting to the adoption claimed Harisu is legally a woman and is therefore fully eligible to be a mother.
``Harisu, who cannot give birth to child, is more qualified to be a mother than those who abandon their own children. It is better for the child to be raised in the family of a transgender mother than raised in an orphanage,’’ an Internet user named ``sohyon’’ said on Daum guest board.
However, those opposing her adoption say the couple should consider the effects on the child on learning about its mother’s sex change.
``Although the couple live happily with adopted children, other kids will tease them when they enter school. It is not easy to abolish social prejudice,’’ another user with the ID ``Happiness’’ said.
Another user with the ID ``Sugabebes’’ said, ``I understand Harisu’s affection toward children. But I don’t think the child, who would already have confusion about being an adoptee, would be able to accept the situation of the mother being transgender.’’
A staff member at Holt Children’s Services said, ``According to law, Harisu has no problem adopting as she is legally a woman; rather it is a matter of ethics. Adoption agencies should think of the child’s position first.’’
A director at another adoption agency said the case has become an issue because Harisu is a celebrity. ``Nobody would care if the transgender person, who is legally a woman, wanted to adopt without making public her transgender status. But the situation is different when everybody in Korea knows Harisu is transgender, as the child will have to face much teasing and prejudice,’’ he said.