Coalition for Fair Adoption

Coalition Members:
American Association of University Women
Child Welfare League of America
National Association of Social Workers, FL Chapter
National Council of Jewish Women Public Affairs Network
SunServe/ Sunshine Social Services
National Center for Lesbian Rights
Equality Florida
Florida Women's Consortium
Broward Women's Emergency Fund
Planned Parenthood - South Palm Beach and Broward Counties
ACLU of Florida
Humanists of Florida
Family Pride Coalition
Human Rights Campaign
GLBT Parents of Tampa Bay
Orlando Gay Parents Group
Pasco Pride
SW Florida Rainbow Families
PFLAG Miami
PFLAG West Palm Beach
PFLAG Sarasota

Policies supporting gay adoption:
Central Florida ACLU
Central Florida Gay and Lesbian Law Association
Girlz Like Us
Hope Unites Church UCC
Joy MCC
National Association of Social Workers- Lake and Sumter County Units
National Association of Social Workers- Orange County Units
Orlando Equality Florida Meet-up
Orlando Gay Parents
PFLAG Orlando
Seminole County GLBT Democratic Caucus
GLBSU at UCF
We2HaveParentalRights

The High Cost of Denying Permanency: An Analysis of the Economic Impact of Florida’s Adoption Ban (download pdf)

Democratic legislators join to seek repeal of ban on gay adoption
By Anthony Man
3/15/07
Thousands of Florida children could have vastly better lives, advocates said Wednesday, if the state repeals its 30-year-old ban on gays adopting. (read article)

Gay adoption push renewed
By STEVE BOUSQUET
3/15/07
Florida's three-decades-old ban on allowing gays to adopt children is under attack once again. (read article)

Florida Families Rally for Gay Adoption Bill
WCTV Eyewitness News
Some Florida families are rallying behind legislation that would lift the state's 30 year ban on gay people adopting children. (read article)

Gay Adoption Bill
Jessica Edwards
A State Senator wants to reverse a Florida law that prohibits gay people from adopting children. Senator Nan Rich calls that law the most anti-gay parenting law in the nation. (read article)

Let homosexuals adopt
Palm Beach Post Editorial
One of the best bills in the Legislature may have the worst chance of becoming law. (read article)

Gays: OHS did not protect us; Former students tell about abuse, threats, harassment
By Lorna Jablonski, Okeechobee News
In the aftermath of Okeechobee County School Superintendent Dr. Patricia Cooper's decision to deny the formation of a school-based Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and her statement that those students wanting to form the GSA had been offered counseling and protection from harassment, five former Okeechobee High School students have come forward with their stories. (read article)

Gay Adoption Bill Aims to Keep Foster Families Intact
Families Lobby for Legislation that Considers the Child’s Best Interest in Certain Adoption Cases
3/14/07
(Tallahassee) Democratic lawmakers, families and child advocates from across the state today called on the Florida Legislature to pass a bill that would allow children to be adopted by gay foster parents (read more)

We believe that Florida’s foster care system is in crisis. Thousands of adoptable children are currently languishing in foster care, many bouncing from home to home or from institution to institution. Despite the best efforts of the Department of Children and Families, there simply are not enough eligible adoptive parents to bridge this gap. Meanwhile, thousands of qualified potential adoptive parents are categorically excluded.

We recognize the expert opinions of professional organizations that have carefully studied the scientific research and issued policy statements supporting adoption by gay and lesbian people.

We recognize that there is no credible scientific evidence that the sexual orientation of parents has any effects either on the quality of parenting or on the well-being of their children.

We recognize that the latest census figures show that thousands of children, many conceived through alternative insemination or surrogate parenting, are being raised in Florida by gay and lesbian parents. We believe these children deserve the legal protection afforded by second-parent adoption.

We believe a categorical ban prohibiting all gay and lesbian people from adopting, regardless of the applicants’ qualifications and the best interests of the child involved, is harmful to children. We believe adoption should be granted only to qualified applicants based on an individualized assessment of what is in the best interests of the child(ren) to be adopted.

Coalition for Fair Adoption
c/o Equality Florida
PO Box 13184
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
Ph: 813-870-3735
Fx: 727-490-0965
E: fairadoption@eqfl.org