gaygroups
02-11-2006, 06:43 PM
A group of conservative legislators is trying to enact the nation’s most restrictive gay-parenting law, making it illegal for "homosexual, bisexual or transgender" Ohioans to adopt or serve as foster parents.
Their efforts likely won’t go far.
The chief of staff for Ohio House Speaker Jon A. Husted immediately blasted the bill, introduced on Thursday by Ashville Republican Ron Hood, as discriminatory and divisive.
"Most reasonable people would have a preference for being in a loving, alternative setting rather than an abusive, heterosexual setting," Scott Borgemenke said yesterday.
"I don’t think that’s a partisan issue. I think that’s the truth."
Husted, a Kettering Republican, wants to see the House focus on other issues, Borgemenke said.
"There’s a growing concern within the Republican party of continuing to introduce this divisive legislation," he said. "We don’t think there’s some cottage industry of homosexual adoptions.
"We do believe people are losing their jobs."
Hood said he thinks the law would address a significant social problem, calling it a "child-protection act."
Children raised in gay households are at "increased risk" of physical and emotional problems, he said, and are more likely to question their own sexuality.
"Studies have shown that the optimal setting to raise children in is a traditional setting with a mom and a dad," Hood said.
His legislation, however, would not ban adoption or foster parenting by single mothers or fathers.
Critics say the legislation is unfair not only to prospective parents, but also to thousands of Ohio children stuck in a chaotic foster system.
"To reach out and be a bigot is bad enough. To do it on the backs of children is just wrong," said Jeannette Birkhoff, of Equality Ohio, a grass-roots advocacy group that promotes equal rights for gays.
Birkhoff said as many as 6 million children in the United States are being raised in families with at least one gay or bisexual parent. Her own stepchildren — the son and daughter of her partner — "are straight, wonderful people," she said.
Only Florida, where entertainer Anita Bryant led a campaign against homosexuality in the 1970s, has a ban on gay adoption. Florida does, however, allow gays to serve as foster parents.
In the past year, at least eight other states have considered some measure to bar adoption or foster parenting by gay or bisexual applicants. None has succeeded.
Ohio should nonetheless press ahead, said Barry Sheets, of the Christian-activist group Citizens for Community Values.
"We applaud Rep. Hood for introducing a law that takes the best interests of children at heart," he said.
Sheets said Husted is wrong if he thinks gay adoption is a nonissue. "I would have to respectfully, but strongly, disagree with the speaker’s office on this one," he said.
Hood acknowledged that his bill is sure to draw emotional debate. He said he hopes that it will be assigned on Tuesday to a committee for discussion.
"The make or break on this will be in the committee process," he said.
Borgemenke did not offer estimates, but he said, "I can’t imagine it’s going anywhere quickly."
For some gay parents, timing is an important matter: Do they wait for good news in a state that seems increasingly hostile, or do they leave? They were banned from marrying Nov. 2, 2004, with the overwhelming passage of Issue 1, the Ohio constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman.
Their efforts likely won’t go far.
The chief of staff for Ohio House Speaker Jon A. Husted immediately blasted the bill, introduced on Thursday by Ashville Republican Ron Hood, as discriminatory and divisive.
"Most reasonable people would have a preference for being in a loving, alternative setting rather than an abusive, heterosexual setting," Scott Borgemenke said yesterday.
"I don’t think that’s a partisan issue. I think that’s the truth."
Husted, a Kettering Republican, wants to see the House focus on other issues, Borgemenke said.
"There’s a growing concern within the Republican party of continuing to introduce this divisive legislation," he said. "We don’t think there’s some cottage industry of homosexual adoptions.
"We do believe people are losing their jobs."
Hood said he thinks the law would address a significant social problem, calling it a "child-protection act."
Children raised in gay households are at "increased risk" of physical and emotional problems, he said, and are more likely to question their own sexuality.
"Studies have shown that the optimal setting to raise children in is a traditional setting with a mom and a dad," Hood said.
His legislation, however, would not ban adoption or foster parenting by single mothers or fathers.
Critics say the legislation is unfair not only to prospective parents, but also to thousands of Ohio children stuck in a chaotic foster system.
"To reach out and be a bigot is bad enough. To do it on the backs of children is just wrong," said Jeannette Birkhoff, of Equality Ohio, a grass-roots advocacy group that promotes equal rights for gays.
Birkhoff said as many as 6 million children in the United States are being raised in families with at least one gay or bisexual parent. Her own stepchildren — the son and daughter of her partner — "are straight, wonderful people," she said.
Only Florida, where entertainer Anita Bryant led a campaign against homosexuality in the 1970s, has a ban on gay adoption. Florida does, however, allow gays to serve as foster parents.
In the past year, at least eight other states have considered some measure to bar adoption or foster parenting by gay or bisexual applicants. None has succeeded.
Ohio should nonetheless press ahead, said Barry Sheets, of the Christian-activist group Citizens for Community Values.
"We applaud Rep. Hood for introducing a law that takes the best interests of children at heart," he said.
Sheets said Husted is wrong if he thinks gay adoption is a nonissue. "I would have to respectfully, but strongly, disagree with the speaker’s office on this one," he said.
Hood acknowledged that his bill is sure to draw emotional debate. He said he hopes that it will be assigned on Tuesday to a committee for discussion.
"The make or break on this will be in the committee process," he said.
Borgemenke did not offer estimates, but he said, "I can’t imagine it’s going anywhere quickly."
For some gay parents, timing is an important matter: Do they wait for good news in a state that seems increasingly hostile, or do they leave? They were banned from marrying Nov. 2, 2004, with the overwhelming passage of Issue 1, the Ohio constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman.