ACLU Seeks to Challenge Gay Adoption Ban

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) asked the Supreme Court on Friday to hear its challenge to Florida's ban on adoptions by gays.



In a 40-page filing, the ACLU argued the nation's only such blanket prohibition violates the Constitution's equal protection clause because it singles out one class of people, homosexuals. Children also are disadvantaged because they are deprived of caring parents, it states.


The Supreme Court should "make it clear once and for all that states may not pass laws to express their disapproval of gay people and particularly may not do that on the backs of society's least fortunate," according to the brief.


In July, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news - web sites) refused in a 6-6 vote to hear the challenge after a three-judge panel ruled against four gay men, foster parents seeking to adopt children in their care. The panel had ruled the question should be decided in the legislature.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041001/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_gay_adoption

[TaleWgnDg]

1. here's the Florida ACLU webpage about this issue . . .

http://www.aclufl.org/news_events/index.cfm?action=viewRelease&emailAlertID=490
(as last visited Saturday, October 2, 2004)

For those so inclined to read legal documentation, go to the ACLU's webpage (above) to click a hyperlink to the ACLU brief (paperwork) that it filed with the U.S. Supreme Court requesting the Court review (hear) this case (Lofton v. Kearney).