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Editorial: Foster care will suffer if gays get disqualified
Editorial: Foster care will suffer if gays get disqualified
Web Posted: 04/26/2005 12:00 AM CDT San Antonio Express-News Somewhere along the road to fixing the problems in the state's Child Protective Services agency, lawmakers got off course. Instead of focusing on the problems at hand, they are trying to legislate their ideology. They have added an amendment to a bill revamping the state's child welfare agency that would make it unlawful for gays, lesbians and bisexuals to be foster parents. This proposal has no reasonable basis. There is no documentation to indicate that people's sexual preference affects their ability to care for children. Many gay foster parents in this state are doing a wonderful job raising children whose families are not able to provide them with the loving homes and attention they need. Eva Thibaudeau, a social worker and licensed foster parent who, with her partner, has adopted or fostered a total of 75 children, told the Associated Press she was shocked by the legislative action. "I am just so hurt and surprised, especially (when) we are facing an ongoing crisis of not having enough resources to take care of foster children," Thibaudeau said. Her feelings are justified. Texans across the state should be outraged. At the end of 2004, Texas had 27,931 children in foster care, including 2,158 in the San Antonio region. Rep. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, estimates that 2,500 foster children across the state are living with gay or lesbian parents. The state needs more foster parents, and narrowing the pool would be a mistake. Under the proposed legislation, prospective foster parents would be asked their sexual preference and disqualified if they admit to a homosexual or bisexual lifestyle. Current foster parents who are gay or bisexual would have foster children removed from their homes. Several states restrict gay adoptions in some way. Arkansas is the only state to have attempted to ban gay foster care. That measure was recently struck down by the courts as unconstitutional. Texans shouldn't need a court ruling to see that this legislation is discriminatory. Sponsored by Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, the amendment to the Child Protective Services legislation unnecessarily creates new problems. Lawmakers should drop the divisive political stunts and tackle the real problems http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/...212b216fd.html Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action. |
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Useless; no support there.
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