|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
| Florida's Discriminatory Adoption Laws | |||||||||
| Florida is the only state in America that openly and specifically bans adoption by homosexuals. Some states have laws that restrict homosexual couples from adopting, but Florida has gone on to include homosexual individuals, whether it be individual adoption or second parent adoption. The state has some of the most stringent laws regarding homosexuals which is surprising when one takes into consideration the diversity of people that can be found throughout the state. They have laws that discriminate not only against adoption, but also marriage and in some cases child custody. | |||||||||
| In Florida, homosexuals are not allowed to adopt children in any way, shape, or form. It is, however, legal for them to be foster parents. The laws seem contradictory and hypocritical. A child who is not fit to be adopted will be sent to a foster home, at that point and time a homosexual who meets the credentials of a foster care parent is allowed to care for the child. Once the child becomes fit for adoption though, the gay parent is not allowed to adopt the child. Suddenly the gay foster parent is no longer fit to be a parent to the child. The most disturbing example of this is a case which is presently being heard in a Florida court. | |||||||||
| In the case of Lofton v. State, Steven Lofton and Rodger Croteau, along with two other couples who are also foster parents, are fighting to have the gay adoption ban repealed. Lofton and his partner have a special interest in the ruling. They have raised their son, Bert, since he was an infant. Bert, as well as the other four children in the family, all come from difficult backgrounds and have health problems. Ten year old Bert came to the family with HIV as did Wayne and Ernie. Now that Bert?s tests come back negative for HIV and he is still under the age of 14, the state of Florida is actively seeking a family to adopt him. Now, after all of the years of care and love that he has received from Steven and Rodger, now that he is once again healthy and stable they want to take him away from the only family he has ever known. Now that Bert is deemed "adoptable," these two men are no longer good enough to care for him. Why? Because they love each other. Where is the justice in that? | |||||||||
| Aside from gay adoption, Florida also has laws in place that prohibit same sex marriage. In 1997, the Florida legislator passed DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) laws which prohibited same sex marriages to take place in the state of Florida or for marriages between members of the same sex performed in other states to be acknowledged in Florida. On the issue of discrimination in the workplace and housing, the sunshine state also takes a stance against it. Less than a year ago there was a bill up for vote that would allow homosexuals to be discriminated against simply because of their orientation. This law failed to pass, but the margin was chillingly close. | |||||||||
| Not giving homosexual couples the same rights that heterosexual couples have is unfair. A person's gender or sexual preference should not automatically strip away their right to marry, adopt, rent an apartment, or get a job. Homosexuals, just like straight people, work, pay taxes, and partake in everyday life as part of society, so why treat them any differently? Some say that same-sex marriage would bring the institution of marriage to ruins, but how can two people committing themselves to love and monogamy ruin the institution of marriage? Is that what the institution of marriage stands for? Allowing same-sex marriage would promote monogamy amongst homosexuals and it would entitle them to the rights that they, as citizens of the U.S., are guaranteed in the Constitution. | |||||||||
| Also, not allowing gays to adopt is hurting the thousands of children out there who need families. Those children are not concerned with sexual orientation, all they want is to be in a home where they are loved and cared for properly. Why limit the amount of households available by cutting out an entire group of people who are willing to provide children with everything they need to be healthy and happy? Florida's ban on gay adoption is keeping thousands of children in the hands of family services and out of the hands of loving parents. Whoever claims that is in the best interest of the child is a blatant liar. | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||