URGE FLORIDA LEADERSHIP TO LIFT BAN ON GAY ADOPTIONS
Florida
is one of three states in the nation that ban lesbian and gay individuals
from adopting children. According to FamilyNet, HRC's web site that
offers information on lesbian and gay families (www.hrc.org/familynet), there are
currently more than 500,000 children in the foster care system in the United
States being deprived of loving homes. 3,000 of these children are
languishing in foster care in the state of Florida.
In August, a
federal judge in Miami upheld Florida's 24-year-old law prohibiting same-sex
adoption. The case, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, was appealed
to the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta.
Following the ruling, a spokesperson for Gov. Jeb Bush said that he supports
the ruling.
Despite the fact that numerous studies make it
abundantly clear that gay and lesbian families are just as capable of raising
healthy, happy children as any other family, the ban has remained in
effect.
Please contact Florida leadership today and urge them to
support lifting the state's ban on gay adoption. Let Gov. Bush and
others know that this ban flies in the face of science, lacks moral
leadership, and only hurts the thousands of children waiting for loving
homes. Phone numbers for Gov. Bush and Florida leadership can be found
below. Contact information for the entire Florida state legislature can
be found by visiting www.hrc.org/stateaction and clicking on
Florida.
For more information on lobbying the Florida state legislature
on adoption and other issues important to the LGBT community, please contact
Equality Florida: