Talking About Gay Adoption in Louisiana

categories: Gay Marriage, LGBT Adoption, LGBT Rights and Politics, Marriage Equality, Religion and LGBT Rights, State LGBT News

Published August 06, 2009 @ 02:37PM PT

Adoption

Members of Louisiana's Commission on Marriage and the Family heard from several equal rights advocates today - members of Louisiana's Forum for Equality - hoping to push the state of Louisiana to ease restrictions that prevent gay or lesbian couples from jointly adopting children. Currently, while Louisiana allows straight couples and single people to adopt, the state bars committed gay and lesbian couples from adopting jointly. Which means that while I could adopt a child, my partner would have no legal parental rights to that child (and vice versa).

Pretty unjust. What's worse? The Commission today seemed repulsed by the idea of gay adoption. At least, that's how a couple of papers are spinning today's meeting.

Commission member Gene Mills, who incidentally directs a right-wing religious organization known as the Louisiana Family Forum, said that LGBT adoption has no place in a state (like Louisiana) that has banned gay marriage. "I really believe, as was stated earlier, that every child deserves not just two parents, but a mother and a father," Mills said, according to nola.com.

And then there's Rep. Frank Hoffmann, a Republican Louisiana legislator and also member of the state's Commission. For him, LGBT adoption runs counter to the idea of marriage and family. From the Times-Picayune:

Hoffman said while it was "appropriate" to hear from the Forum for Equality on the issue, the state should be looking at policies and laws that "will affect marriage and families to make life better for all in Louisiana." The pitch by Tucker, he said, was "at odds with the purposes of this commission. ... I don't see this (concept) going anywhere."

Personally, it seems strange that Louisiana would have a tax-payer funded commission dedicated to marriage discrimination. But beyond that, it's in the worst interests for Louisiana's children, both those up for adoption as well as those in the foster care system, to prevent gay and lesbian couples from joint adoption.

No legitimate study exists that says gay or lesbian adoption harms children. Rather, a plethora of studies exist showing the exact opposite - that children of gay or lesbian parents flourish, and are just as well balanced as children of straight parents.

Again, it looks like partisan politics by conservative religious groups are getting in the way of serving the best interests of kids. It happened in Arkansas last November. And if politicos in Louisiana get their way, it's a pattern that will continue in that state, too.

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Comments (5)

You know, I have a question regarding last Novembers vote in Arkansas. Has anyone done a study as to how many gay households v single hetero-headed households foster children have been ripped out of? Meaning, is Arkansas actually applying the law to both hetero and homo based households?

Posted by Dave Hershey on 08/06/2009 @ 03:44PM PT
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Oh come on mr. hershey...

You and I both know that that law was only instituted so that gay couples could be further discriminated against...

This time at the cost of the welfare of children.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 09/24/2009 @ 12:52AM PT
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The intolerant conservatives of the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and the Family are wrong when it comes to adoption by same-sex couples. The members of that commission are using their vested powers to justify the oppression LGBT people experience. Rather than allowing only one LGBT person to legally adopt one child, Louisiana must allow that same-sex couples adopt children because LGBT equality and the research shows that intolerance is unjustified and wrong.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 08/06/2009 @ 06:21PM PT
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This is what happens when you let morons run politics rather than science minded and educated individuals... This reminds me ever time I hear an idiot politician state that "you dont have to be smart to be a politician." While I agree you can be a moron and get elected by more morons, not knowing the difference between between ethical and critical thinking and religious bigotry really shows how capable you are at running this country... into the ground.

Posted by Chris Marshall on 08/06/2009 @ 10:54PM PT
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Please see the UNICEF approved link >

http://about-orphans.blogspot.com

:)

Posted by Stella Solomons on 08/10/2009 @ 02:25AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.