dhueso
02-13-2006, 07:12 PM
I am forwarding this information to friends near and far whom Sandra and I have met along the way. On Tuesday, the Florida Senate Committee on Children and Families will hear for the first time a bill that would (if passed) would bypass the ban on gay and lesbian adoption in the state of Florida. This is a major step forward to remove a very discriminatory and hateful policy that denies gay and lesbian families the right to adopt. Several months ago, Sandra and I had expressed interest in becoming foster parents to a 10 day old baby girl. Most of you know that it is our dream to become parents once again now that our foster son Steven has moved on. However, we were prevented from becoming her foster parents because the state required her to be placed in a pre-adoptive home. The current law disqualifies us from being considered a pre-adoptive home because we have been in a loving, committed relationship for 9 years. If passed this bill would allow us to be considered for pre adoptive placement….as well as make our dream of adoption a reality. I am asking for your help! I have attached the information regarding this bill and the contact information for the members of the senate committee members. Please call and voice your opinion. They need to know that people that live in the State of Florida and outside the state are watching and want them to do what is right and fair. Also, please forward this to any distribution list that you can…there is incredible power in numbers…..
PLEASE CALL TODAY AS THEY WILL BE VOTING ON THE BILL TOMORROW!
BREAKING NEWS:
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEAT FLORIDA'S ANTI-GAY ADOPTION BAN
Dear Friends,
On Tuesday, February 14th, Florida's infamous ban on gay and lesbian adoption will be voted on in a committee of our state legislature - for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The Committee on Children and Families will hold an historic hearing on Senator Nan Rich's bill (SB-172) this Valentine's Day. When passed, this bill will allow judges to bypass the ban and, guided only by the best interest of each child, place children in permanent homes with loving, qualified gay and lesbian parents.
The Coalition for Fair Adoption has worked hard for the past three years to lay the groundwork for this opportunity and we are close to succeeding.
You can be certain that the far right will pour everything it has into defeating our bill. Therefore, we must use every resource at our disposal to win this critical committee vote.
We have developed a winning strategy for this coming week that will:
- Mobilize fair-minded Floridians to call and write key Senate committee members
- Identify key opinion leaders who will contact swing votes on the committee
- Get National, State and Local child welfare experts to testify in Tallahassee
- Get families to Tallahassee so legislators hear the powerful stories of children denied permanent homes
We have an strong line up ready to testify at the adoption hearings: Nationally respected child welfare advocates armed with irrefutable research; powerful stories from children directly effected by the ban, families ready to put a human face to the needless emotional wreckage created by this policy that exists in no other state. We have allies shoulder to shoulder with us like never before. We have phone banks, letters and emails blasts primed to go.
Now we need your help.
I invite you to be part of a history-making vote that we hope will not only roll back Florida's adoption ban, but also stop this family destroying ban from being introduced in other states.
Here's what you can do:
CALL and/or WRITE the committee members and call on them to put children first support an end to the adoption ban.
To Call, see phone numbers at the end of this email.
To Write, go to: http://ga4.org//campaign/adoptionban <http://ga4.org/campaign/adoptionban>
With your immediate help, I'll look forward to contacting you on February 15th with the news that Florida's infamous anti-gay adoption ban is on the way out.
PHONE NUMBERS FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS (In order of priority):
Evelyn J. Lynn- 386-676-4000
Durell Peaden, Jr.- 850- 689-0556
Mike Fasano- 727-848-5885
Walter “Skip” Campbell (Chair)- 954-346-2813
Nan Rich- 954-747-7933
KEY TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR CALL:
A) Please support Sen. Nan Rich's bill (SB-172) that would allow judges to by-pass Florida's anti-gay adoption ban and put the best interest of each child first.
B) Leaving adoption decisions up to experts and base the decisions on children’s best interests
C) Those closest to the child are in the best position to know what is in their best interest.
D) This law harms children by denying them permanent homes and the security of being legally adopted by the parents who have loved and raised them. This discriminatory law leaves children unnecessarily languishing in state custody.
Thank you for you support,
Denise Hueso
PLEASE CALL TODAY AS THEY WILL BE VOTING ON THE BILL TOMORROW!
BREAKING NEWS:
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEAT FLORIDA'S ANTI-GAY ADOPTION BAN
Dear Friends,
On Tuesday, February 14th, Florida's infamous ban on gay and lesbian adoption will be voted on in a committee of our state legislature - for the first time in nearly 30 years.
The Committee on Children and Families will hold an historic hearing on Senator Nan Rich's bill (SB-172) this Valentine's Day. When passed, this bill will allow judges to bypass the ban and, guided only by the best interest of each child, place children in permanent homes with loving, qualified gay and lesbian parents.
The Coalition for Fair Adoption has worked hard for the past three years to lay the groundwork for this opportunity and we are close to succeeding.
You can be certain that the far right will pour everything it has into defeating our bill. Therefore, we must use every resource at our disposal to win this critical committee vote.
We have developed a winning strategy for this coming week that will:
- Mobilize fair-minded Floridians to call and write key Senate committee members
- Identify key opinion leaders who will contact swing votes on the committee
- Get National, State and Local child welfare experts to testify in Tallahassee
- Get families to Tallahassee so legislators hear the powerful stories of children denied permanent homes
We have an strong line up ready to testify at the adoption hearings: Nationally respected child welfare advocates armed with irrefutable research; powerful stories from children directly effected by the ban, families ready to put a human face to the needless emotional wreckage created by this policy that exists in no other state. We have allies shoulder to shoulder with us like never before. We have phone banks, letters and emails blasts primed to go.
Now we need your help.
I invite you to be part of a history-making vote that we hope will not only roll back Florida's adoption ban, but also stop this family destroying ban from being introduced in other states.
Here's what you can do:
CALL and/or WRITE the committee members and call on them to put children first support an end to the adoption ban.
To Call, see phone numbers at the end of this email.
To Write, go to: http://ga4.org//campaign/adoptionban <http://ga4.org/campaign/adoptionban>
With your immediate help, I'll look forward to contacting you on February 15th with the news that Florida's infamous anti-gay adoption ban is on the way out.
PHONE NUMBERS FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS (In order of priority):
Evelyn J. Lynn- 386-676-4000
Durell Peaden, Jr.- 850- 689-0556
Mike Fasano- 727-848-5885
Walter “Skip” Campbell (Chair)- 954-346-2813
Nan Rich- 954-747-7933
KEY TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR CALL:
A) Please support Sen. Nan Rich's bill (SB-172) that would allow judges to by-pass Florida's anti-gay adoption ban and put the best interest of each child first.
B) Leaving adoption decisions up to experts and base the decisions on children’s best interests
C) Those closest to the child are in the best position to know what is in their best interest.
D) This law harms children by denying them permanent homes and the security of being legally adopted by the parents who have loved and raised them. This discriminatory law leaves children unnecessarily languishing in state custody.
Thank you for you support,
Denise Hueso