Comments on: LGBT Parents Win Big in Arkansas http://www.mombian.com/2008/10/09/lgbt-parents-win-big-in-arkansas/ Sustenance for Lesbian Moms Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:39:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Amy http://www.mombian.com/2008/10/09/lgbt-parents-win-big-in-arkansas/comment-page-1/#comment-81844 Amy Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:48:56 +0000 http://www.mombian.com/?p=2470#comment-81844 This has been exciting news here in Arkansas, which has a foster care system that is plagued by problems, including a dearth of available foster homes. This will give our judges more options for placing children in desperate need of stable, loving homes. Initiated Act 1 would not only create an across-the-board bar against foster placement with unmarried couples (both same-sex and heterosexual), but would prohibit all unmarried couples from adopting. There is simply no rational basis for this terrible piece of legislation. Its blatant attempt to discriminate against the gay and lesbian community is just flat out bad policy, and is most decidedly NOT in the best interests of our children. I've attached a link to Arkansas Families First, a coalition of individuals and organizations that are working to defeat this measure. Here's hoping for victory! This has been exciting news here in Arkansas, which has a foster care system that is plagued by problems, including a dearth of available foster homes. This will give our judges more options for placing children in desperate need of stable, loving homes. Initiated Act 1 would not only create an across-the-board bar against foster placement with unmarried couples (both same-sex and heterosexual), but would prohibit all unmarried couples from adopting. There is simply no rational basis for this terrible piece of legislation. Its blatant attempt to discriminate against the gay and lesbian community is just flat out bad policy, and is most decidedly NOT in the best interests of our children.

I’ve attached a link to Arkansas Families First, a coalition of individuals and organizations that are working to defeat this measure. Here’s hoping for victory!

]]> By: Angela http://www.mombian.com/2008/10/09/lgbt-parents-win-big-in-arkansas/comment-page-1/#comment-81819 Angela Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:21:07 +0000 http://www.mombian.com/?p=2470#comment-81819 As a foster parent to five teenagers in Florida, I understand, to some degree, what those gay and lesbian wannabe foster parents in arkansas are going through. In Florida, my partner of five years and myself are allowed to foster however, we cannot adopt these five kids (four of which are siblings) due to a ridiculous, discriminatory law put in place over thirty years ago. The children are the ones that suffer...truly. Our kids have been with us for four years, and will be with us, and members of our family, for the rest of our days, but they will never know the security of that court order. They will always be "foster children" - even though we don't refer to them as such...it's always there...lingering. I can't tell you how difficult it was to have to explain to our youngest boy (10 at the time) why it was that we couldn't adopt him when he wanted it so badly. Talk about second class citizens. I'm glad that Arkansas has at least come to the point where fostering will be determined on a case by case basis...we are desperately hoping for that same consideration in regard to adoption in our state. As a foster parent to five teenagers in Florida, I understand, to some degree, what those gay and lesbian wannabe foster parents in arkansas are going through. In Florida, my partner of five years and myself are allowed to foster however, we cannot adopt these five kids (four of which are siblings) due to a ridiculous, discriminatory law put in place over thirty years ago. The children are the ones that suffer…truly.

Our kids have been with us for four years, and will be with us, and members of our family, for the rest of our days, but they will never know the security of that court order. They will always be “foster children” – even though we don’t refer to them as such…it’s always there…lingering. I can’t tell you how difficult it was to have to explain to our youngest boy (10 at the time) why it was that we couldn’t adopt him when he wanted it so badly. Talk about second class citizens.

I’m glad that Arkansas has at least come to the point where fostering will be determined on a case by case basis…we are desperately hoping for that same consideration in regard to adoption in our state.

]]>