U.S. state ban on gay foster parents ended

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5436161

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) - An Arkansas circuit judge has thrown out the state's ban against foster parenthood by gay couples or
by households that include a gay adult.

The judge, Tim Fox of Little Rock, side-stepped the issue of whether the ban unconstitutionally discriminated against gay couples. Instead
he ruled on Wednesday that the state administrative board, which imposed the ban, was not authorised to do so.

"That's good enough. We'll take it," said Rita Sklar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas, which challenged the ban.

Sklar said expert testimony during the trial demonstrated that the children of gay foster parents were no more likely to suffer psychological
damage or exhibit anti-social traits than the children of heterosexuals.

more

This is great news. Everything I have read indicates that gay people make great parents. A win for kids!

[Florida_Geek]

1. this was a long fight but a Judge in St. Pete did the right thing too

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/690049121.html?MAC=54c51c16314e661ea8eca21a712714e6&did=690049121&FMT=FT&FMTS=FT&date=Sep+9%2C+2004&author=CURTIS+KRUEGER&printformat=&desc=Gay+dads+get+daughters+plus+praise+from+judge

Two young girls from Florida's foster care system should be allowed to live permanently with the two gay men they call "Dad and Daddy," Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Irene Sullivan ruled Wednesday.

Denying a motion that could have moved the girls away, Sullivan said the state owes the two men "a debt of gratitude" for the way they took in two troubled foster children, now ages 6 and 7, and transformed their lives.

"I'm going to personally thank Dad and Daddy here, for in their way, stopping the cycle of abuse," Sullivan said. She even suggested the state use the men to train other foster parents.

"It's not just love, it's love, experience, background, intelligence. They seem to have it all," Sullivan said of Curtis Watson, 40, a licensed foster parent, and his life partner, who is in his 40s and works for a health facility.

..more at the Times

[xchrom]

2. in this time of oppression

that just made me feel so good -- what a relief to feel something other than anger.

[Florida_Geek]

3. yes, the judge went for the Good of the Children

over some Bible thumper reason.

[dbt]

4. Yeah, but watch the Fundies go apeshit over this.

I'll bet that everything else that needs immediate attention in this state (which is damn near everything) gets shoved to one side so that this "injustice" can be righted according to the Laws of God-uh.

It's even money that Gubernor Huckabee weighs in with public whining. Every damn time that Arkansas takes a step into the 20th Century, the preachers jump in to "save" us.

:eyes:
dbt

[annabanana]

5. a little more "life force" Christianity and a little less "death cult"

Christianity is called for in this country!

[HockeyMom]

6. Children

need a LOVING home - doesn't matter the gender of their parents. Speaking from experience, I used to cry myself to sleep at night when my parents were at each other throats, LITERALLY. They did this until the day they died. Was a horrible, horrible childhood. I used to ENVY my cousin who was raised by his Mom and her partner in such a wonderful loving home in comparison to what my homelife was like. Would have traded my life for his in a heartbeat. This was back in the 1950s.

[Moderator]

7. duplicate

locking. discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1107377