Florida gay adoption ban ends

[Bob]

Florida gay adoption ban ends - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com Florida gay adoption ban ends
State won't appeal court ruling declaring 33-year-old law unconstitutional
msnbc.com
updated 10/22/2010 6:40:42 PM ET 2010-10-22T22:40:42



TALLAHASEE, Fla. ? Attorney General Bill McCollum said Friday he would not appeal a recent court ruling declaring unconstitutional Florida's ban on adoption by homosexuals. The decision effectively ends the state's 33-year law ban on the adoption of foster children by gay couples.

"The constitutionality of the Florida law banning adoption by homosexuals is a divisive matter of great public interest,? McCollum said in a statement. ?As such, the final determination should rest with the Florida Supreme Court, not a lower appellate court.

"But after reviewing the merits of independently seeking Supreme Court review, following the decision of our client the Department of Children and Families not to appeal the decision of the Third District Court of Appeal, it is clear that this is not the right case to take to the Supreme Court for its determination.?


A three-judge state appellate court panel unanimously ruled last month that there was no "rational basis" for Florida's ban.

 

[Bob]

Bill McCollum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Controversy over spending related to opposing gay adoption
See also: George Alan Rekers#"Rent boy" allegations

In December 2009, Bill McCollum came under fire with the revelation that as the Florida Attorney General he used over $120,000 in state funds to hire a psychologist, George Rekers, to testify as the star expert witness and one of only two to testify in defense of the state's homosexual-adoption ban. Rekers testified that homosexual parents are as undesirable as "Fifteen-year-old couples, 90-year-old couples, Thai-language-only speaking couples, blind and deaf parents, households with a pedophilic-behaving adult, households with practicing criminals, households with drug dealers and drug abusers, households with unemployed adults, households that advocate the overthrow of the U.S. government, households with an active terrorist, households with sexually promiscuous unmarried men and women co-habitating and households" and questioned the fitness of Native-Americans as parents.

In her ruling on the case Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman struck down the law, stating that the testimony of George Rekers ?was far from a neutral and unbiased recitation of the relevant scientific evidence,? and that ?Dr. Rekers? beliefs are motivated by his strong ideological and theological convictions. ? The court cannot consider his testimony to be credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy.? [19] Controversy over the case reemerged in May 2010, while Bill McCollum was running for governor, when it was discovered that Rekers hired a homosexual prostitute for a 10 day vacation in Europe, again raising questions about Bill McCollum's connections to Rekers and his conduct as Attorney General in the homosexual adoption case.[20]

 

[AlphaCrab]

No "rational bais" for Florida's ban." Wow--great news--potential new parents can now offer love and financial security to an unwanted Florida child. Gay couples could also now raise a loved and open minded child, regardless of his or her's sexual nature.

Looks like win-win to me.

 

[Teresa]

its good news. doing the right thing sometimes takes time in our govt. better late than never. but still, makes me feel sad that this kind of law/ban was ever allowed to exist - and for so long.

 

[Elephant Child]

No "rational bais" for Florida's ban." Wow--great news--potential new parents can now offer love and financial security to an unwanted Florida child. Gay couples could also now raise a loved and open minded child, regardless of his or her's sexual nature.

Looks like win-win to me.

Any set of parents (or a single parent) can raise a loved and open minded child Alpha.