By Dawn Wolfe Gutterman
LANSING – Pro-gay family advocates were handed a favor by the state House on May 24. Because that body ran overtime, a hearing on bills that could make it substantially more difficult for same-sex couples to adopt children was delayed, giving pro-gay family activists time to rally fair-minded citizens.
House Bills 5908 & 5909 would allow adoption agencies to refuse placement of children in homes to which the agencies have a "moral objection." Both bills enjoy the sponsorship of known anti-gay human rights legislators such as Jack Hoogendyk (R-Kalamazoo), Barb Vander Veen (R-District 89) and William VanRegenmorter (R-District 74).
A staffer for Rep. John Stahl (R-District 82), chair of the Committee on Family and Children's Services, and a primary sponsor of HB 5908, confirmed that the bills would be voted on within the next few weeks.
"These bills are not going to be helpful for children in finding permanent homes because it's going to potentially exclude foster and adoptive parents from applying," said Bev Davidson, president of the Coalition for Adoption Rights Equality. "And they will give power to private agencies to exclude certain individuals from fostering or adopting based on their moral beliefs and not on the ability of the person to parent."
"These adoption bills are radical, they're bad public policy and they will hurt children in Michigan," said Sean Kosofsky, policy director for Triangle Foundation. "These bills aim to replace the philosophy that adoptions should be decided on what is in the best interests of the child." Triangle and CARE are leading the fight against the bills.
Asked why the state legislature might be considering the bills, Kosofsky said, "It's election-year grandstanding. These bills will help no one and will hurt many, and they will cost money by keeping kids in foster care rather than putting them in good homes."
When asked if Rep. Stahl considered the effect of his bill on families by same-sex couples, the staffer said, "I'm sure it was taken into consideration."
According to National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter Executive Director Dr. Maxine Thome, "We are concerned that these bills have been raised in opposition to the Second Parent Adoption Bills (which the association supports). If so, we would like to stress that sexual orientation is about loving and respecting a person of the same sex. Love and respect are the foundations of good parenting."
The National Association of Social Workers has joined the National Council of Jewish Women, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan, the Child Welfare League of Michigan, and numerous other state and national professional, religious, and child-advocacy organizations in supporting second parent adoption regardless of the sexual orientation of the parents.
Rep. Paul Condino (D-35), whose HB 5399 would legalize second parent adoption in Michigan, was unavailable for comment on the anti-adoption bills as of press time.
Speak OUT
Triangle and CARE are seeking people willing to travel to Lansing on a moment's notice to testify against House Bills 5908 & 5909. Call Bev Davidson at 734-646-8150 or Sean Kosofsky at 313-537-3323, ext. 105 for more information.
In addition, contact your state Representative and Senator and tell her or him to oppose the bills, which would leave more children without permanent homes in deference to the "morals" of adoption agencies.
For contact information for your state Representative call the Michigan State House Clerk's office at 517-373-0135 or visit http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp. For contact information for your state Senator visit http://senate.michigan.gov or call the Secretary of the Senate at 517-373-2400.
