BABY ON BOARD

Virginia Adoption Board Okays Discriminating Against Gays, Democrats, Geezers

gay_adoptionDear Virginia Board of Social Services: You suck.

According to the Washington Post, the board—which is responsible for establishing adoption guidelines—voted 5-1 this week to sanction discrimination on the basis of potential adoptive parents’ sexual orientation, age, disability, gender, family status and political beliefs. The rules will go into effect May 1, 2012.

One board member actually doesn’t suck, though:

Board chairwoman Bela Sood noted before the decision that while society considers a mother and a father “a normal parenting unit,” scientific evidence doesn’t support some religious and conservative groups’ claims that they make better parents than same-sex couples do.

You go, Bela Sood!

We reached out to her for a comment, and she quickly replied with some wise words:

Each day we put up barriers to the process of permanent placement, particularly which is not supported by science or data but a value system we are creating barriers for children in establishing strong stable attachment and a life long pattern of stability and belongingness as soon as feasible.

You know who else doesn’t suck? The people of Virginia.

During an extended public comment period, the Department of Social Services received nearly 3,000 comments—the majority of which were against such bigotry.

We went ahead and placed a call to the State Board of Social Services (surprise, surprise, no one answered) and sent e-mails to the five board members who voted to support discrimination, despite the fact that more than 2,000 people disagreed.

If you want to give them a piece of your mind, their contact info is collected here. (All but Sood voted in favor of these new regulations.)

Shoot them an e-mail and let them know you’re not happy they’re trying to make less of this happen.

 

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