La. Marriage Commission Holds First Meeting

[MountainLaurel]

BATON ROUGE -- A gay advocacy group says it fears Louisiana's marriage and family commission, which met for the first time Thursday, would work to restrict homosexuals' right to adopt children.

Sen. Sharon Broome, the chairwoman of the Commission on Marriage and Family, said she does not expect the panel to focus on adoption and dismissed the concern raised by the New Orleans-based Forum for Equality Louisiana.

"I don't see adoption as part of our agenda, gay or not," Broome, D-Baton Rouge, told reporters after the meeting.

The panel was created by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, then kept alive last year by an executive order by Gov. Bobby Jindal. The commission's duties include collecting data on the state's two-parent and single-parent families, and to study ways to increase the percentage of Louisiana families that have two involved parents.

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/la_marriage_commission_hold_fi.html

[SacredCow]

1. "work to restrict homosexuals' right to adopt?"

How could it be more restricted? Homosexuals CAN'T adopt children in Louisiana. They can foster children, weirdly enough, but they can't adopt.

Blanco, despite being a Dem, was as big of a homophobe as Jindal. Her staunch Catholicism pretty much dictates it.

On edit... The law supposedly allows for single homosexuals to adopt, but in reality- it doesn't happen. An acquaintence of mine tried and was repeatedly turned down, despite being an ideal candidate (other than being a homosexual, that is...).

[bluedawg12]

2. So I guess the two parents thing was a lie? Not two same sex parents.

"...to study ways to increase the percentage of Louisiana families that have two involved parents."

[SacredCow]

3. Yeah- the subtext of that is two OPPOSITE sex parents....

The guy I know who wanted to adopt was (and remains) single by choice. He's a CEO of a credit union, a talented church musician, and just amazing with kids. His references were stellar, and he is more often than not "babysitting" for straight friends when they go out of town, etc.

But he was upfront about being gay. And the various agencies were upfront that his chances of being allowed to adopt were slim to none.

[The Brethren]

4. It never ceases to amaze me

as it use to be in MA - I believe they have since changed the law and now allow gay couples to adopt, where bigots succeeded in prohibiting gay people from adopting due "to the well being of children".

So they'd rather have more children remain a ward of the state rather then place them with a parent or parents who would love to raise them. All supposedly for the well being of that child. Not only is this discriminatory against gay people who'd like to adopt, but it is simply illogical.

[bluedawg12]

5. Professional journals that I've read show that gay's are good, loving parents

and the kids do well.

Darn those pesky facts. :eyes:

[The Brethren]

6. Pesky facts are so annoying.

:sarcasm: They just might get in the way of determined bigots. Unless ignorance and homophobia prevail.

[MNBrewer]

7. what gets me, is...

that the main drawback for kids in two parent gay households is having to deal with societal stigmatization, and that stigmatization is used as a reason to stigmatize two parent gay households.

Logical, huh?