Bipartisan legislation before the Pennsylvania House that supports adoption of special needs children is in danger of being derailed by the radical right.   

State Rep. John Yudichak introduced House Bill 345 last year to make it easier to place special needs children with adoptive families.  It is strongly supported by the agencies that work on adoption issues -- agencies that understand the importance of providing foster children with permanent placements. The proposed bill was favorably reported from the House Children and Youth Committee and could come up for a vote on March 15, 2004.

Unfortunately, this bill has now become a target of Rep. Jerry Birmelin and his extremist allies who have filed more than 40 potential amendments to the bill.  These amendments would ban adoptions by same sex couples, ban adoptions by single persons, uphold existing bans on same-sex marriage, ban common-law marriages and forbid taxpayer-funded benefits for domestic partners regardless of sexual orientation.  

These proposed amendments must be rejected: they are bad for the children, bad for families and bad for Pennsylvania.

Take Action! Urge your state representatives to reject the amendments proposed by Birmelin and his allies.

 Good parenting is not influenced by sexual orientation. A parent's ability to create a loving and nurturing home does not depend on whether a parent is gay or straight.  Several courts have found persuasive evidence that children raised in a gay or lesbian household are no different than those raised in a heterosexual household.  Outlawing adoption by qualified parents denies foster children and others a loving and nurturing home.  The amendments will overrule the willingness of adoption agencies to accept many qualified adults as parents and prevent waiting children from moving into permanent loving families.  The current statewide shortage of foster parents will only be exacerbated.

 Amendments limiting the state's ability to provide partner benefits would increase the number of uninsured individuals. Many people in unmarried partnerships will be ineligible to be included on their partner's insurance.  These people will have no choice but to go uninsured.  This leads to increased medical costs that will be passed on to the state and private employers and all the citizens of Pennsylvania. 

 The amendments would harm existing and new families. Single persons, grandparents, gay men and lesbians are becoming parents in growing numbers.  Many of these individuals will continue to have and raise children regardless of a change in marriage or adoption law.  The amendments would only diminish the quality of family life for these families by stripping them of the necessary legal and economic protections they need to survive and thrive.

TAKE ACTION!