Florida ban on gay adoptions ruled unconstitutional

[JackBeck]

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman Tuesday declared Florida's 50-year-old ban on gay adoptions unconstitutional -- a ruling state lawyers immediately said they would challenge.

The ruling sets the stage for Frank Gill, a gay man from North Miami, to adopt two foster children he has raised since 2004.

In a 53-page ruling, Judge Lederman said, ``It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent.''

Two lawyers from the Florida Attorney General's Office said they would file an appeal Tuesday

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/786605.html

[GodlessBiker]

1. Very nice.

[JackBeck]

3. About time. n/t

[terrya]

2. First recommendation!

``It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent.''

Truer words were never written.

[JackBeck]

4. Some great news, for a change. n/t

[terrya]

9. Yes.

We are definitely ready for some good news.

[JackBeck]

18. Aside from Obama's win

Best damn post-election news I've heard so far.

[pinto]

5. Good call.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[JackBeck]

7. Yes it is!

:fistbump:

[closeupready]

6. This is the correct ruling.

:thumbsup:

[JackBeck]

8. With huge implications!

[cali]

10. this brings tears of joy to my eyes.

it's so cruel and wrong to ban adoptions by gays and lesbians. Let's hope this ruling stands up under appeal.

[JackBeck]

12. Agreed. Especially with the thousands of children in Florida without homes. n/t

[flvegan]

11. We finally righted one of our many wrongs.

I want to know why the FL AG office is filing an appeal. It wouldn't bug me as much if one of the "Family" organizations hired a lawyer to appeal it, but this does.

[JackBeck]

14. And tomorrow "Milk" is released.

I can't help but acknowledge the coincidence.

:pals:

This is a perfect opportunity for LGBT groups to spring into action before the "Family" orgs get their say.

[gollygee]

13. Yay!

And people are so hateful that they would emotionally harm those kids by being taken away from him.

[JackBeck]

15. My favorite saying about Right Wingers:

They love the fetus, and hate the child.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Sweet!

[JackBeck]

17. Florida has one of the most restrictive laws surrounding foster children and adoptions.

I look forward to seeing how this all will eventually play out.

[JackBeck]

19. Kicking, since this is great news.

And because I just got back from Shop Rite.

:-)

[knitter4democracy]

20. Thank you, Judge Lederman, for being rational.

Love is the main predictor of how someone will parent, and I could care less what their sexual orientation is.

[JackBeck]

22. LGBT families have been successfully raising children under the radar since who knows when.

We have been doing this for many decades, if not more, and it's about time this bigotry comes to an end.

To see Florida finally catch-up to most of the rest of the country gives me hope that the Obama years will see some major progress in advances in LGBT equality.

[knitter4democracy]

24. That's exactly right.

It's not like LGBT families are anything new. Heck, you even see them in older myths and legends and literature. It's time for equal rights for all.

[northofdenali]

21. Not having read any of the above replies -

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!

:applause:

[Iwillnevergiveup]

23. Excellent news for Floridians

and kids!

[JI7]

25. Gay Rights is moving ahead in similar ways to Civil Rights

for those people who criticized doing it through the courts, based on history they helped move things in the right direction.

civil rights would not have passed during the time the courts were making rulings on education , interracial marriage etc if it was left to the popular vote.

but the popular vote will follow the court decisions. California voted to keep marriage only for heteros by a large amount about 10 years ago. after the courts ruled in favor of same sex marriage the vote in california this year was less than 5 percent opposed.

even based on some polls we are seeing now it seems like enough people who voted for the anti gay bill would now vote against it.