Well this is one way to force anti-gay states — we’re talking to you, Florida — into adopting adoption equality legislation: Have the federal government punish any member of the union with discriminatory laws on their books. That’s what California’s Dmeocratic U.S. Rep. Pete Stark wants to do with the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which he introduced last week. Why is this bill so ballsy? (And, bigger question: Why won’t Gay Inc. get behind it?)
Because it would place restrictions on federal funds — economic sanctions, y’all! — on any state that uses marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity to discriminate in foster or adoption programs. Among those states that would be affected? Utah, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska and Mississippi.
So why is Rep. Stark, a father of three young kids, so adamant about the law? Not because he’s a gay rights champion; he just doesn’t want to see 25,000 kids “age out” of these programs each year and have nowhere to go when they turn 18.
So what if Florida’s Gov. Charlie Crist can’t kill those anti-gay adoption bills? Blade:
How about we take this to the next level?
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The legislation, Stark said, also would restrict funds for states where restrictions are put in place by agencies, individual social workers or judges, or where restrictions are part of the common law of the state.
For states that don’t comply with the law, federal officials could withhold from the states funds provided to them for child welfare services. The bill also calls for a Government Accountability Office study within five years to examine how states are complying with the new rules.
The bill is modeled after the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act, a law Stark helped shepherd through Congress in 1994 that prohibits racial discrimination in foster care and adoption placements.
So what’s the bad news? Stark has no co-sponsors for the bill yet, and little visible support. Sure, Speaker Nancy Pelosi likes the idea, but we know how meaningless her support can be. That said, Stark says there’s a “pretty good” chance the bill will pass this Congressional season.
And as for your upstanding Gay Inc. organizations? Surely they’ll want to get this legislation passed, right?
Sort of. While the Human Rights Campaign supports the bill — spokesman Trevor Thomas says HRC supports “all efforts to remove artificial barriers to finding permanent families for children and youth” — the org only plans to lobby for the bill if it “gains traction in Congress,” according to the Blade.
So … we should wait for our elected officials to get behind it before we do? Sorry, but when did our upstanding civil rights organizations wait for politicians to do our bidding before mounting an effort to convince them they should?
ksu499
If you start lobbying for the bill before you know the bill is OK with your “allies” in Congress, you risk offending someone. Gay, Inc. would never do that.
hyhybt
I object on principle to the federal government using the threat of no funding to force its way on the states whenever they can’t override them directly… but in this case, an exception sure would be tempting!
Brian NJ
HRC has to check with their government masters before they can think.
Andrew
Where is HRC? Raising money.
Fitz
HRC is probably at a “Staff Retreat” (i.e. catered party in Palm Springs) so that they can recharge their batteries after the tremendous success they pulled off with diverting attention away from those unpleasant fagots who marched.
brian
HEY AUTHOR: what’s the bill number? always include that!
J. Clarence
I don’t think the federal government is stepping out of line here. The states have become addicted to federal money coming in, rather than raising taxes or cutting social services because that has be political suicide. The federal government has the right to put strings attached to that money.
This isn’t the federal government telling these states what to do, simply restricting how that many can be spent. States can continue to discriminate if they wants to, but should realize doing so come at a price, literally. If that forces some of their leaders to think twice about enacting discriminate policies that’s just a positive consequence of the legislation.
Milo
@Brian its HR 3827
brian
if HRC won’t step in until more congressmen step up, it’s our job to intervene. WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMEN. It doesn’t have to be eloquent. State your purpose and threaten them with their jobs. They’re public servants. Order something!
Daniel
The federal government uses the same tactic to force colleges with nondiscrimination policies based on sexual orientation to accept military recruiters on campus or else lose federal funds. The law is called the Solomon Amendment. No reason they cannot use the same tactic to help ensure kids get a home.
wondermann
J. Clarence you need to write for Queerty, lord knows they need you.
Hell, we need you to write for them.
Bill
In the end, it all comes down to money. Doesn’t it.
Money, money, money, money, money. It is the only thing humans seem to TRULY value.
Sick, sick world.
As for HRC – Joe is more concerned these days with being an A-list faggot (as if such a thing even exists in this word) than he is with supporting and fostering equality. Anyone still giving a red cent to that organization should be aware that Joe and the gang are making $$$ off of YOUR oppression.
Someone should tell Joe that all those politicians that he THINKS are his friends are still calling him a faggot behind his back.
A ‘gay man’ is ONLY a ‘gay man’ until he leaves the room, Joe. As soon as he leaves the room, he’s a faggot.
Joe is certainly old enough to have learned THAT lesson. Instead, he sells out his own people in exchange for what he feels is acceptance by those very people that Joe believes in HIS heart are better than he is.
WHERE IS OUR LEADER?????????????????????????????????
poster
Oy. The bill was introduced with ZERO co-sponsors, which is an indication it is not a serious effort and has no chance of even being brought up in committee, let alone on the floor of the House or Senate. HRC isn’t going all crazy about this bill because they understand Congress. Legislating isn’t pretty, but that doesn’t mean we need to be dumb and nonstrategic about it.
The Swimmer
Rather than obstructing progress, Joe Solmonese should find a good bridge and take a head-first dive. He is the most lousy, pathetic, self-promoting piece of shit excuse for a “civil rights leader” that I have ever seen. He is part of the Bitch Bottom wing of the Democratic Party that has no kahones and wants to see his own people oppressed for another 20 years so we get teased into voting Democrat.
Kropotkin
When does the HRC go “balls to the wall” on anything? What have we gotten in Congress in the last fifteen years except a long overdue Hate Crimes bill?
Steve
If you want any of these bills to become law, write to your Representative and your two Senators. Write a business-format letter to each of them, asking them to support this bill, and giving the title and number of the bill that you want them to support. The postage and stationary costs less than $2. You can write a set of letters every week, for less than $100 per year. Writing letters to your congressmen is far more effective than giving money to any lobbying company.
Here is the contact information:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
alan brickman
HRC is raising money…to embezzle it…
Andrew
STOP giving HRC your money or your attention.
Daniel
The website following up on The Dallas Principles is ACT on Principles (www.actonprinciples.org) which makes it easy to keep up on legislation like ENDA.
ActOnPrinciples
The Bill is currently being whipped at http://www.actonprinciples.org
http://www.actonprinciples.org/ecdf-house/
ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION: The Every Child Deserves a Family Act of 2009 is to prohibit discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on the sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status of any prospective adoptive or foster parent. It was introduced in the U.S. House by Representative Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA-13) on October 10, 2009 as H.R. 3827.
Brian NJ
The HRC and all the gay insiders are so enchanted with their new empty, meaningless celebrity in Washinton, that they can’t see that their emperor has no clothes. Gays need to stand up to the democrats, and demand the attention they deserve. They tell them that civil rights matters should have priority, and cannot get kicked to the bottom of the to do list along with the gay veterans, gay couples and parents. When Cinderella Joe is told “no, you are going to have to wait,” by Rahm Emanuel, he should say, “Deliver me two simple repeals of DADT amd DOMA by the midterms, or I can’t guarantee that the HRC will fully support the Democratic Party in the 2010 midterms.”
Instead, he says to THE GAY COMMUNITY, Don’t judge Obama until 2017. That means his job is to clean the chimney and sweep the stairs, while the rest of the Democratic Party goes to the ball. Fuck the HRC for selling us out.
David Alex Nahmod
HRC is out there doing what really matters: planning another cocktail party!
)-:
David Alex Nahmod
I wonder if HRC~~and other groups/activists, are holding us back on purpose~~if we ever actually got full equality, they’d all be out of jobs!!!!!
hyhybt
#23: I doubt it, at least not consciously. Even with full legal equality, there’d be plenty for them to do, and if not, they could expand their scope to other humans.