04/21/2005
Texas Children Under Attack
I wrote about this briefly last night but I'm bringing it up again. The Texas House passed a bill by 135-6 (!) that would ban gays in that state from becoming foster parents and it now heads to the senate. It's a disgusting, backwards, ignorant piece of legislation.
Republican Rep. Robert Talton, who introduced the bill, said, "It is our responsibility to make sure that we protect our most vulnerable children, and I don't think we are doing that if we allow a foster parent that is homosexual or bisexual."
I just watched a woman on CNN say that foster children would be better off taken from caring foster parents' homes and put in orphanages. She also made the absurd claim that children are 11 times more likely to be abused when in the care of homosexuals. The rhetoric being thrown around in Texas is disgusting and makes my stomach churn.
"If the bill passes, it would close more than 1,500 homes to more than 2,000 children. The cost to the state would be $16 million."
One of their main arguments is that homosexuality is a taught behavior and children who grow up in foster homes with same-sex parents will most likely turn out homosexual. I love hate hearing this laughable argument and I'd love to know how many gay adults grew up under the care of heterosexual parents and (shock) weren't turned straight under their influence.
As a gay man who was adopted, watching these desperate foster parents in Texas fighting for the right to keep their children—who will be taken from them if this law is passed—is maddening and heartbreaking. If you live in Texas, call and fax your Rep.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 3:26 PM EST by Andy in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Andy, I love what you have to say and how you said it. I do wonder if you meant something else in the second to last paragraph, however. Shouldn't the last word of the first sentence be "homosexual"? If it is the way you wrote it, I can't see why there would be any opponents to gay foster parents.
Posted by: Josh | Apr 21, 2005 3:31:57 PM
yes, you are right. that's what I meant and I've changed it. thanks for pointing it out.
Posted by: andy | Apr 21, 2005 3:41:10 PM
That is absolutely absurd. I too, love what you said. This is just another reason for the Dixie Chicks to be ashamed they are from Texas. Not only is it where our President is from, but now this! Not everything is bigger in Texas either, let me tell you my friend. They did, however, invent Dr. Pepper. ;)
Posted by: Justin | Apr 21, 2005 4:11:57 PM
As a Texas resident, I'm begging each of you to follow up on this and take action. It's so sad to wake up and realize that my state has really become "Bush Country". We need your help, and we need it fast! Normally I'd roll on and on here, but I'm so very sad today...I just don't have the words.
Posted by: Wayne | Apr 21, 2005 4:12:01 PM
hey wayne, I how you feel. it is hard to be a
BLUEberry in Tomato soup. Texas is a great state
and everyone is so friendly here. Unfortunately,
Texas politics have gone straight to hell in a
handbasket.
Posted by: chris | Apr 21, 2005 4:43:39 PM
Unfortunately the news of this hateful piece of legislation is buried in both the NY Times and the LA Times. The use of the most tried & vile stereotyes against gay people is really enraging! The alliance of conservative catholics and evangelical protestants is going to be a terrible force in American politics. Watch out.......
Posted by: Timothy Eckert | Apr 21, 2005 5:23:53 PM
This is just outrageous. Perhaps this is a good wake up call to gay "conservatives" who don't seem to think the current political climate is going to effect their lives. What's next...a state constitutional ammendment to repeal the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Texas Sodomy laws? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
Posted by: Patrick | Apr 21, 2005 6:52:24 PM
As another adoptee, I salute you, Andy! Was there anyone gay on the CNN show to rebut? Even if there were, I'd guess that they were not up to the job--based on virtually every gay spokesperson I've heard on any of our issues in the past decade. They've all sworn an oath (oaf?) of "don't be confrontational; don't call fascists fascists; tiptoe through the tulips and speak in bumper stickerese about fairness and equality while the opposition is demonizing us." They come very close to enraging me more than the other side--because they're getting paid to fight for us (BIG bucks in the cases of the heads of HRC and GLAAD) and are paper tiger and tigeresses.
Will be happy to hear I'm wrong in this case.
Posted by: Leland | Apr 21, 2005 9:47:39 PM
What further enrages me is that someone who would say such a thing was actually given airtime on CNN. How fucking ludicrous. Stick to the BBC for real news.
Posted by: Kasper | Apr 22, 2005 6:19:41 AM
This is very disturbing news and I'm shocked that any airtime was given to someone who would so blatantly lie about the risks of child abuse in foster homes, demonizing a whole group of innocent people. I wonder would the same airtime be given to someone who wanted to talk about how children born to rightwing christian families are 23 times more likely to shoot their parents? Oh wait, I pulled that statistic out of my ass in the same way they did with theirs!!
Posted by: graham | Apr 22, 2005 7:46:01 AM
Friends, I am telling you. We need to get off our asses and out of the bars and start yelling and fighting and writing checks. Money talks! No one is out there to help us but us! We all had to work hard to advance to where we are today, but that is all in jepardy unless we act now! Write your congressman, tell yor friends, go to meetings, just DO SOMETHING!
Posted by: Tommy | Apr 22, 2005 9:29:16 AM