New bill could challenge law against gay adoptions

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Post a comment | E-mail this story | Print

Potential parents spoke about the gay adoption issue Monday night in front of the Florida Senate Committee on Children, Family and Elder affairs.

TAMPA (Bay News 9) -- Florida lawmakers banned gay men and women from adopting children 30 years ago.

But now a push is on to overturn that ruling and a new bill being introduced could help.

It's Senate Bill 200 and it states a homosexual man or woman is eligible to adopt a child under certain circumstances.

The scenarios include, but not limited to, if the child has resided with the person, the child's parents are deceased, and the person proposing to adopt the child is the guardian.

Potential parents spoke about the issue Monday night in front of the Florida Senate Committee on Children, Family and Elder affairs at Hillsborough Community College. This committee could ultimately help push the bill through the political process.

More Information

State senator Ronda Storms was appointed chairperson of the committee.

Cathy James, who supports allowing gays to adopt was not thrilled with Storms being part of the committee.

"It's not the best appointment that we could have wished for,'' James said.

Still, James said the bill is a start in the process of overturning the bill that dates back 30 years.

State senator Ronda Storms has been appointed chairperson of the committee exploring changing the law.

In 1977, Anita Bryant led a statewide campaign to over-turn Dade County's gay rights law. Claiming that gays and lesbians were child-molesters, Bryant was able to convince state senators to vote for a ban on gay adoptions. The law has been challenged several times, but each time, it has not been overturned and remains law today.

Some in attendance at Monday's meeting hope the law banning gay adoptions remain.

"I'm totally opposite of it,'' said Bob McMillain. "It's just not good for our society to see children abused like this. It's not a hate thing, it's a biblical thing. They need to be with a man and a woman and not two people from the same sex.''