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[Incognito]

Via Atrios, the following bill would ban gays from adopting in Alabama.

Here's a snippet:

Gay Alabamians hoping to adopt children in this state may never get the chance. A group of state lawmakers is pushing a measure to stop them.

The Alabama Legislature is considering a proposal that would make it illegal for a person who is gay to adopt a minor. Currently, there is no state law that would prohibit a person who is homosexual from adopting children. However, because of the state's Marriage Protection Act, which only acknowledges marriage as being between a man and a woman, same-sex couples are effectively prohibited from adopting children.

Howard Bayless, a gay Alabamian, says he's often thought of adopting a child and is outraged by the proposed ban, sponsored by Sen. Hank Erwin Jr., R-Montevallo.

"The government does not need to dictate to us what a family should be made of and what a family should look like," Bayless said Tuesday. "I have three sisters, and every single one of them have children, and they have asked me to raise their children if something happens to them. This would not allow me to raise their children."

The 2000 census indicated there were 8,109 same-sex partner households in Alabama, representing about 0.5 percent of all households in the state. There were 554 same-sex households reported in the tri-county area that year.

Sandy Holmes, program manager with the office of adoption for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, said that in February, there were 641 children in the state awaiting adoption -- 272 of whom had no family identified to give them a permanent home.

Under Erwin's proposed ban, none of these children could be adopted by someone who is gay. His bill awaits action in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Erwin said his measure is consistent with the state's stance on gay issues. He pointed to the Legislature's recent approval of a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage -- a proposal that must be approved by voters in a referendum -- and to Alabama's existing Marriage Protection Act, which prohibits the state from acknowledging same-sex unions.

"We need to be consistent," Erwin said in a recent interview. "If we are going to say we are a family-friendly state with traditional family values, then we need to have traditional family adoption policies."

 

[Escape Goat]

There are gay people in Alabama?

 

[AntoneM]

There are gay people in Alabama?

took the words out of my mouth

 

[Macam]

The only thing consistent about Alabama is how intent they are on pulling themselves back in time.

 

[909er]

Whatever. Those gay Alabamans should just lie. I mean, how the hell will the state know? Do they have a look out list for fashion too good and expensive for Alabaman?

 

[Socreges]

Since gays and lesbians still carry such a stigma with them, I'm not terribly fond of the idea of them adopting and raising children. The kids will be absolutely tortured throughout elementary and high school by other [ignorant] kids, since they have "two daddys" or whatever. Yeah, they always have to deal with shit, but that's just one more thing.

This isn't to say that I'd want it banned. I mean, I guess it's better than living in a foster home.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

No one ever knows what a child needs, being gay has nothing to do with your ability to raise a child, hell if a gay person is up to the challenge they should be considered. Is it inherently BETTER than a traditional family? Nope but inherently worse? who the hell knows, parenting is all about hte connection made between the adult and the child. No matter who the adult chooses to have sex with that parent could still be a father or mother figure that child needs. This labeling gay people as being evil is like denying our selves if we truely look at ourseleves we are all imperfect or wrong in SOME way so wahts the difference. I cannot judge another because of who he/she is attracted to because i do plenty of wrong myself its too self righteougs im sick of it, i know its old fashioned but the heart is what counts. and if a gay person would be kind enough to take care of me in the event of my family being gone who am I to complain? To deny that fact is to deny faith in a god that judges your heart as the bible says he does, its all about intentions not results...even if you get the result you want, the means to that result is what a person lives with.

 

[NLB2]

No one ever knows what a child needs, being gay has nothing to do with your ability to raise a child, hell if a gay person is up to the challenge they should be considered. Is it inherently BETTER than a traditional family? Nope but inherently worse? who the hell knows, parenting is all about hte connection made between the adult and the child.

To add on a little to this:
I've heard many people say that a hetero home is better for raising children than a homosexual home. Even if this is true, this is not a reason to make it illegal for homosexual couples to have children. It is inherently worse for a child to grow up in a family with an alcoholic parent than one without an alcoholic parent. However, alcoholics are allowed to have children and no law will be passed making this illegal.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Yeah it all gets grey, all because a straight person decides to fuck a chick even if they are inferior parents. I dont have all the answers, but can a person be a good role model, a good man or woman besides the fact they decided to have sex with the same sex? yeah i think so, I really dont see the correlation between this and religion, more a correlation between people doing what they alwasy do, pointing out someone elses diffrences instead of looking inward and ACKNOWLEDING their own shortcomings. Very easy to do...so you know human.

 

[maharg]

Since gays and lesbians still carry such a stigma with them, I'm not terribly fond of the idea of them adopting and raising children. The kids will be absolutely tortured throughout elementary and high school by other [ignorant] kids, since they have "two daddys" or whatever. Yeah, they always have to deal with shit, but that's just one more thing.

This isn't to say that I'd want it banned. I mean, I guess it's better than living in a foster home.

Something can't lose the stigma of being abnormal until it becomes normal and acceptable. This seems like a tautology to me, so I'm surprised how many people seem to need it pointed out.

 

[Socreges]

Something can't lose the stigma of being abnormal until it becomes normal and acceptable. This seems like a tautology to me, so I'm surprised how many people seem to need it pointed out.

Um. Unlike you, I wasn't trying to enlighten anyone (your first point goes without saying, btw). Just explaining why I'm not "fond" of gays adopting since there are going to be 'sacrifices', so to speak.

 

[909er]

Something can't lose the stigma of being abnormal until it becomes normal and acceptable. This seems like a tautology to me, so I'm surprised how many people seem to need it pointed out.

But it can never become normal. Religion will always be there and probably always be against it, and it's not like the number of gays are rising. For some reason, it seems to be set at around 5 - 10% of the total population.

 

[Drensch]

Their version of Queer eye is a shower. That's it.

 

[maharg]

Yeah, video games will never be normal either. They're too violent and they make people psychotic. Oh and porn? Never take off. Religious people are all against it, so it'll never be a multimillion dollar industry.

Yeah. Because things stay the same and tolerance never increases.

What?

(for the sarcasm impaired, you might note that I did not say anything about a majority of people becoming gay and adopting. Something becoming acceptable or normal has nothing to do with the number of people who practice it, only the number of people who accept it as normal)

 

[RiZ III]

Its not fair for a kid to be adopted by gay parents. He/she would most likely have a very rough childhood because the abuse they would take from society.

 

[Drensch]

Thank god. Because kids with straight parents have never been abused or had rough childhoods.

I hope you're being sarcastic because no one can be that dumb.

 

[impirius]

Yeah I saw that on TV last night

And finally, Bill in Alabama writes:

"I don't think gays should be able to adopt children. I would ban that."

That's it for the O'Reilly Factor, stay tuned for Hannity and Colmes.

 

[lo escondido]

i believe its all ready banned here in florida

 

[ge-man]

This has always been a stupid issue. With all the children that need a family in this country, it seems like a gay ban is just shooting ourselves in the foot. Let's be honest here--a gay couple wouldn't be better or worst than a straight couple. There are a lot of fucked up kids and adults that were raised by heterosexual parents so I don't buy any kind of argument that says that straight parents are inherently better.

I also don't buy the whole thing about being picked on. If a kid didn't have gay parents, he'd be picked on for being a geek and other stupid shit bullies like to key into. Childhood always has and always will be somewhat of a tough experince. Assholish kids have never been rare commodity and they will find some thing to bully someone over.

 

[kevm3]

Thank god. Because kids with straight parents have never been abused or had rough childhoods.

I hope you're being sarcastic because no one can be that dumb.

What's the reason to be a smartass to the guy? Kids with straight parents haven't been abused BECAUSE their parents are straight. You never hear, haha, your mom is with a man! But you WILL see a child getting the rough end of it because he has two daddies.