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In the best interests of the child

Last week in Maryland, Baltimore Circuit Judge M. Brooke Murdock struck down a 33-year-old state law against marriage for gays and lesbians, and in so doing she rejected the argument that the "traditional family" is ideal for children. That is obvious. The best environments for children are the ones with the most adult support and love. The sexuality of the parents is far less important than the quality of their love for the child.
As LGBT families come more out into the open, and as more couples opt to have children, it is increasingly important that our community understand the full implications of parenthood. Many couples already do. They have planned and thought about having children, prepared as best they could for the arrival of a new family member, and they have structured their lives and their extended support systems to provide the resources they need to provide a safe, happy, loving and reliable home for their children.
An individual's commitment to try his or her best to provide a nurturing environment should be the only criteria for selecting which Americans are entitled to create a family. Sexuality is irrelevant when it comes to the quality of parenting.
We support the need for legislation that protects children. We believe that any couple, gay or straight, that brings a child into their home, is obligated to provide fully for that child. They do not have to do it totally alone, it really does take a village to raise children. But they must accept the responsibility, and not change their minds when the going gets tough.
Marriage provides many rights and privileges to couples, especially couples with children. It also imposes responsibilities. We believe that LGBT couples are entitled to the rights of marriage and should be willing to shoulder the responsibilities, and if marriage provides that framework to enforce some aspects of responsible parenthood, then we believe LGBT parents need to be held to the same standards as straight couples.
Judge Brooke made it clear that marriage rights should not be denied on the basis of sexuality. We agree. She also made it clear that in her view, marriage provides some rules and some remedies when the relationship disintegrates and, most importantly, it provides some safeguards for children. When it comes to LGBT parents, only the biological or legal adoptive parent has the legal obligations of parenthood, except in the rare instances where couples have succeeded in securing a second parent adoption. This arrangement is not in the best interest of children.
Right-wing talking heads that denigrate gay and lesbian parents on national television claim to be on the side of children. But anyone who wants to pull the rug out from under a child, take him or her out of a loving home or deny the child the safety of two legal parents just because the parents are gay are not only anti-gay, they are anti-child and anti-family. When it comes to kids, they just open their mouths, not their hearts.

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