The 50 Spot: Legalizing Gay Adoption in Florida
Published March 12, 2009 @ 07:26AM PT
The sunshine state, in addition to being home to my parents (hi mom and dad), is also home to the nation's harshest adoption law, which out-and-out rejects attempts by LGBT men and women to adopt children or provide foster care for them. In late 2008, a Miami judge ruled that the law was a disservice to children (who really need the best family period, whether it's a gay or straight family), and now there's word that a Florida legislator is introducing legislation that would throw out the ban on adoption for LGBT people, and make it legal.
We're also visiting Delaware and Washington state in today's 50 spot. More below...
Florida: This is such welcome news, especially since the going trend has been for states to attempt to ban gay adoption (Arkansas and Kentucky). But in Florida, State Sen. Nan Rich, has filed a bill to repeal the Anita Bryant-era law on Florida's books that bans adoption by gay and lesbian people, and prevents them from serving as foster parents. Per the Bradenton Herald: "State Sen. Rich, a Weston Democrat who is co-chair of the Senate Children & Families Committee, has filed a bill to repeal the 1977 Florida law that prohibits gay men and lesbians from adopting children. A second bill would specify that judges would determine adoptions based solely on 'the best interests'' of children." An adoption law that places the best interests of children ahead of the crazy ideology of the radical right? Now that's a bill worth getting behind, both for the sake of equal rights, and for the sake of children.
Delaware: The first state in the union might become the next state to pass legislation banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation when it comes to housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations and insurance. The bill, which has stalled in previous legislative sessions, was introduced yesterday in the Delaware House by Majority Leader Peter Schwartzkopf (D-Rehoboth Beach). Stormin' Peter Schwartzkopf gave a stinging message to the detractors of this bill who think it treads toward enacting special rights: "This is 2009. If the past several months have taught us anything, it's that Americans are much more tolerant and accepting of others now than ever before....End of story. That's it. It's not a special-rights bill. It doesn't have anything to do with gay marriage, it has nothing to do with civil unions. The bottom line is, people shouldn't be discriminated against." That's the type of bluntness that I find more than refreshing in my politicians.
Washington: Hate crimes legislation moved forward in yesterday's 50 spot, and today comes word that the Washington State Senate passed a sweeping domestic partnership bill that would give same-sex couples registered with the state nearly all of the benefits afforded to married couples. Yes, we know, it's "a separate but equal" type of policy. But it's a step in the right direction, as openly gay State Senator Ed Murray (who introduced the legislation into the Senate) has said. "Morally, we hope this discussion leads to marriage. Legally it does not. My partner and I have been together 18 years and would love the opportunity to marry. Domestic partnership is as close as we can get without being granted marriage," said Sen. Murray. The bill now moves on to the Washington House.
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Comments (13)
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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.
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" A second bill would specify that judges would determine adoptions based solely on 'the best interests'' of children." "Imagine having to pass a LAW to do that? Well, if that's what it takes, let's get it done.
Also from Florida. Openly gay married man wins seat as city commissioner, and since he garnered most votes will be the Mayor! Anthony Niedwiecki of Oakland Park, FL. Husband is Waymon Hudson, of the BILERICO Project Blog and FIGHTING OUT LOUD. Wee hopefully they are still married as they married in California in June of last year.
Posted by Lee Dorsey on 03/12/2009 @ 12:55PM PT
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I think the Christian Republican point you miss is that living with gay people is NEVER in the best interests of children.
Florida is the state that gave us round one of Worst Bush, remember.
Posted by Karen Kline on 03/12/2009 @ 02:15PM PT
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...also Maryland:
Today marks the beginning of two days of hearings on a bill that would allow gay couples to marry in Maryland.
Outside the Capitol, hundreds of supporters demonstrated, calling on lawmakers to approve the measure.
Called the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, the bill would allow civil marriages for gay couples while permitting churches opposed to same-sex marriage to refuse to perform weddings. The bill is sponsored by openly gay Sen. Richard Madaleno Jr.. Madaleno and his partner have adopted two children. In 2007, the state’s highest court upheld the law barring same-sex unions. In a split ruling ,the majority opinion said that while the court agrees that marriage is a fundamental right, there is no fundamental right to marry someone of the same sex. The court ruled that defining marriage should be up to the legislature.
Posted by Lee Dorsey on 03/12/2009 @ 01:01PM PT
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Thanks for the info about another openly gay law maker. I'm glad to know that there's more than Frank.
Posted by Karen Kline on 03/13/2009 @ 09:45AM PT
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PS. Is any group keeping track of all these bills? I know we read year end stats about how many of each kind, but who is it that keeps them?
Posted by Lee Dorsey on 03/12/2009 @ 01:02PM PT
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It's great that Florida is on its way of repealing intolerant laws so that children may be adopted by caring LGBT couples. As well, it's also great that Peter Schwartzkopf is supporting a necessary bill that would ban discrimination on sexual orientation. In addition, every state must have anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT people because any less would be shameful. Finally, the Washington senate has done further justice by moving forward domestic partner benefits for LGBT people.
Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 03/12/2009 @ 01:12PM PT
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If it hadn't been for hatred of gays among Christian Republicans there would have been no cover for the voter fraud in the second Worst Bush election.
Posted by Karen Kline on 03/12/2009 @ 02:17PM PT
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The photo is 2004 San Francisco.....and the individuals remarried in San Francisco again....awaiting the Supreme Court decision...the children are twin daughters, and each fertilized one egg.
The man on the right is from MA and is of Jewish origin, hence the katubah in their home. The other is a former Mormon.
Otherwise, the article is wonderful. Anita Bryant and her ilk still have succeeded in stopping generations of children from adoption.
Posted by A B on 03/13/2009 @ 03:48AM PT
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Their names are Doug Okun, originally from MA, whose father is a noted architect....and Eric Etherington, of UT.
The photo was taken in 2004 and their daughters are twins (each egg fertilized by one of the two).
Posted by A B on 03/13/2009 @ 04:23AM PT
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The first Episcopal bishop of African-American descent was named Delaney. Bishop Delaney lived through the end of the Reconstruction era and the beginning decades of Plessy v Ferguson and Jim Crow.
Bishop Delaney is best known for his two daughters who both lived into the first and second decades past their 100th birthday. Both women were graduates of Ivy League Colombia University in NY, where Bp Delaney served on Fifth Avenue, the headquarters of the Episcopal Church USA.
The Delaney sisters wrote about how they felt the first time that they had to sit on the Negro Only back of the train. Bishop Delaney never accepted Plessy v Ferguson or Jim Crow. He preached against it for the rest of his life, and moved his family North.
Many AA leaders accepted Plessy and Jim Crow. They felt that some rights were better than no rights. They were denied Constitutional rights, but they were passive aggressive. The Northern Republicans were silent, and the Southern Dixiecrat Democrats were lynching them into silence and acceptance.
AA leaders would label those who demanded their rights as "troublemaking radicals" who should ST*U and accept their fate. These individuals detested Brown v Board, and OPPOSED Martin King, Joseph Lowery, and those educated as opposed to jackboot preachers who lived in Stockholm Syndrome acceptance of the status quo.
The LGBT community is in the same fix. We have "activists" who beg and cajole both "friends" and foes rather than to demand their inalienable rights to equal justice under law on the federal level. These gentrified incrementalists assist their enemies in trying to silence the "radicals among us."
My fellow Yale alum started ACT UP. He was attacked by the gentrified gay activists who wanted him to ST*U and accept their fate, and beg and cajole the scientific and pharma and political powerhouses to save our lives. We are both negative, but our friends were not, and died. We knew that silence=death and that you do not compromise with evil.
I have disdain and justifiable anger toward the gentrified incrementalists. I have more angst toward them that our homophobic theocratic enemies who want our re-criminalization and loss of equal rights in the only two states where we have it.
Posted by A B on 03/13/2009 @ 06:59AM PT
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The DE state senator who considers himself a "progressive champion" of gay rights - tells the neocon detractors that :
1) this is 2009, and look at the election of Obama-Biden.
2) don't worry, I want to give them third class rights...what do you think this is .....civil marriage.....or second class civil unions?
WOW !!!! GREAT JOB FOR EQUALITY, DELAWARE !!!!!!!
(You may excuse yourself to vomit now.....)
Posted by A B on 03/13/2009 @ 11:01AM PT
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You have to take his comments in the context of the fact that Delaware not only prohibits same-sex marriage, it's actually considered a criminal act: My spouse and I could be arrested, fined and even jailed for having married in another state and returned here to live. As far as I know this law has never been enforced, probably both because they realize it wouldn't stand a chance if constitutionally challenged, and because even our friends who are cops and judges (my spouse is a bailiff) had no clue that the law even existed.
But it does exist. And while I'm equally frustrated with the attitude expressed by the sponsoring State Representative and the other supporters of this bill in the greater context of my rights and freedoms as a queer person, I also accept even the flawed but genuine support of those lawmakers who are willing to go to bat for me, a step at a time. No one will succeed in moving Delaware LGBT rights forward by trying to jump from the bottom of the well we're in straight up into the sunshine. And honestly, no LGBT rights bill has any hope of passing RIGHT NOW without reassuring the masses that this bill does not give us the right to marry. We are forced to climb the ladder, rung by rung.
Posted by Leslie Vincent-Mar... on 03/13/2009 @ 07:33PM PT
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Christian Republicans treat everyone they have on their judging lists like that.
They don't understand due process, they attack people who are victims, so I'm unclear why you are surprised that anyone is missing the point.
People are hurt by prejudice all the time, in court, in loans, it's horrid.
People should hlep each other, and all people should support equal rights for people... not just their favorite people.
Posted by Karen Kline on 03/13/2009 @ 01:40PM PT
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