Thursday, July 29, 2010

College Inc. - Study: Same-sex couples can thrive as adoptive parents

College Inc. - Study: Same-sex couples can thrive as adoptive parents: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"


Study: Same-sex couples can thrive as adoptive parents

A groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Virginia and George Washington University finds that children adopted by lesbian and gay male couples develop just as well as those adopted by heterosexual parents.

The findings, published in the August issue of the journal Applied Developmental Science, are important because of the debate surrounding gay parenting. Same-sex couples are barred from adopting children in Florida, Mississippi and Utah. A similar case is in the Arkansas courts.

All this is rooted in "the deeply entrenched belief that children need one male and one female parent for optimal development," the authors write. Numerous studies have affirmed the parenting skills of lesbian parents -- less is known about the capabilities of gay male parents -- but the studies have been criticized for using self-reported data or for lacking comparison groups of heterosexual couples.

There are no such deficiencies in the current study, titled "Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?" It was penned by U-Va. researchers Rachel Farr and Charlotte Patterson and GWU scholar Stephen Forssell.

They studied the development of preschool-age children adopted at birth by 27 lesbian couples, 29 gay male couples and 50 heterosexual couples, most in the D.C. and Mid-Atlantic region. The researchers gathered data on child development from parents, teachers and care-givers. Their hypothesis: The development of both child and adult would hinge more on each couple's parenting abilities -- stress, cooperation, laundry skills -- than on their sexual orientation.

And that is what they found. Same-sex parents, and their adoptive children, fared just as well as heterosexual families. It's worth noting that this study apparently represents the first time that independent reports from teachers on children's development and behavior have been considered alongside the self-reported data from the parents themselves.

"Research suggests that family processes, such as parenting quality and attachment, are more important predictors of child outcomes than is family structure," the study says. "These associations have been found both in biological and adoptive families, and among families with lesbian, gay parents and heterosexual parents."

Even the gender development of children adopted by same-sex couples -- perhaps the greatest concern of some critics -- mirrored that of children adopted by heterosexual couples.

"Regardless of whether their parents were lesbian, gay or heterosexual, most boys exhibited behavior typical of other same-aged boys, and most girls exhibited behavior typical of other same-aged girls," the authors write.

The implication: From a public policy stance, the study suggests there is "no justification for denying lesbian and gay prospective adoptive parents the opportunity to adopt children," Patterson, the lead researcher, said.

Equally Wed Magazine, The Nation's Premier Same-Sex Wedding Magazine, Gay Weddings, Lesbian Weddings, LGBT Weddings, Gay and Lesbian Honeymoons

Equally Wed Magazine, The Nation's Premier Same-Sex Wedding Magazine, Gay Weddings, Lesbian Weddings, LGBT Weddings, Gay and Lesbian Honeymoons: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

New same sex marriage magazine. check it out

Monday, July 26, 2010

N.J. Supreme Court declines gay marriage case filed by six same-sex couples | NJ.com

N.J. Supreme Court declines gay marriage case filed by six same-sex couples | NJ.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

TRENTON — In a split decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to hear a case from six same-sex couples seeking the right to marry, saying the case needs to wind its way through the lower courts first.

“This matter cannot be decided without the development of an appropriate trial-like record,” wrote Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, who added that “We reach no conclusion on the merits of the plaintiffs’ allegations regarding the constitutionality of the Civil Union Act.”


The couples filed the case in the aftermath of the failure of same-sex legislation in the state Senate, arguing that the state’s 2006 civil union law had failed to grant them the full rights and benefits of heterosexual married couples that the court mandated the Legislature provide them with four years ago. Since the Legislature failed to pass same-sex marriage, the couples wanted the court to intervene.

They will now have to file a new complaint in Superior Court, which will then have to climb the rungs to reach the state Supreme Court.

The decision was 3-3, with Rabner, Robert Rivera-Soto and Helen Hoens ruling to deny the couples’ motion. Three justices dissented: Virginia Long, Jaynee LaVecchia and Barry Albin.

Long wrote that the court should have heard oral arguments from the plaintiffs as well as opponents of same-sex marriage.

“At the very least, oral argument would have helped to guide us on the best procedural course for creating such a record,” Long wrote in her dissent.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Argentina's gay marriage law signed by president - World - Wire - Kentucky.com

Argentina's gay marriage law signed by president - World - Wire - Kentucky.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

By DEBORA REY - Associated Press Writer

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- President Cristina Fernandez signed a new law Wednesday making Argentina the first country in Latin America to legalize marriage for same-sex couples.

Civil registries across the nation will now begin processing long lists of marriage applications from gay couples. The first such ceremony in Buenos Aires is set for Aug. 13.

"Today we are a society that is a little more egalitarian than last week," Fernandez said at the signing ceremony.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez speaks after signing the same sex marriage bill at the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires, Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Argentina became the first nation in Latin America to grant same-sex marriages all the rights of heterosexual unions.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, gestures after signing the same sex marriage bill at the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires, Wednesday, July 21, 2010. At right, Carlos Zanini, Argentina's Presidency legal aid and atop a photo of Chile's late President Salvador Allende.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, left, applauds after signing the same sex marriage bill at the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires, Wednesday, July 21, 2010. At right, Carlos Zanini, Argentina's Presidency legal aid.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez waves to supporters and members of the gay community after signing the same sex marriage bill at the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires, Wednesday, July 21, 2010.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez waves to supporters and members of the gay community after signing the same sex marriage bill at the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires, Wednesday, July 21, 2010.
Argentina Same Sex Marriage
Eduardo Di Baia

AP Photo - Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez, second right, poses for a photo holding a present she received from members of gays movements, after signing the same sex marriage bill at the the Latin America Patriots room of the government house in Buenos Aires,



Representatives of groups for gays and lesbians cheered, crying out "Equality, equality!"

The law, which was approved by the Senate last week following earlier endorsement by the lower house, grants same-sex couples the full legal protections and responsibilities that marriage gives to heterosexual couples, including the ability to inherit property and to jointly adopt children.

Mexico's capital was the first city in the region to legalize gay marriages.

"We must all get used to living in a free country, in harmony," said designer Roberto Piazza, who attended the signing.

He said he planned to take advantage of the law and marry his partner soon.

The bill was pushed by Fernandez's left-of-center administration, worsening its already strained relations with the Roman Catholic Church.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/07/21/1358546/argentinas-gay-marriage-law-signed.html#ixzz0uTIPnL6a

Monday, July 19, 2010

Civil Partnership Bill signed into law - The Irish Times - Mon, Jul 19, 2010

Civil Partnership Bill signed into law - The Irish Times - Mon, Jul 19, 2010:

The Civil Partnership Bill, which provides legal recognition for same-sex couples in Ireland for the first time, has today been signed into law.

The Bill was signed into law by President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin this morning

It extends marriage-like benefits to gay and lesbian couples in the areas of property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax.

The act also offers additional rights and protections for other cohabiting couples including a redress scheme for financially dependent long-term cohabitants on the end of a relationship.

Announcing the signing of the Bill today, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern described it as "one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation to be enacted since independence."

"This Act provides enhanced rights and protections for many thousands of Irish men and women. Ireland will be a better place for its enactment," he said.

"It is of tremendous social significance, for the couples who can now register as partners, for their friends and families - ultimately, for all of us," Mr Ahern added.

Changes to the tax and social welfare code will be made in the next finance and social welfare Bills. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is expected to be commenced when those changes take effect. The first civil registrations for same-sex couples are likely to take place early next year.

The Bill was approved by the Seanad by 48 votes to 4 at 6.30pm on Friday July 9th, having completed its passage though the Dáil the previous week.The legislation was widely supported in both the Dáil and Seanad.

The Green Party this afternoon welcomed the singing into law of the Bill.

"Today is a good day for all Irish citizines. This Act is a significant step forward and a stepping stone towards greater equality in our society, said the party's justice spokesman Trevor Sargent.

"I look forward to the first ceremonies that will be held under this Act from next January. They mark an important venture for our society for which we have waited far too long,” he added.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle Vetoes Civil Unions - Lez Get Real

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle Vetoes Civil Unions - Lez Get Real

07/06/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Governor Lingle hoped that everyone who supported and opposed Hawaii HB 444 would realize that she understood their position and had listened to them, but she has vetoed it based upon her opposition to same-sex marriage even though she states that she is not doing so because she opposes it, but because she believes that it is alright for the majority to ride roughshod over the rights of others through a vote before the whole people.

If she so believed that having civil unions will affect the lives of the people of Hawaii, she needs to look at Vermont, Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire where all of the fears that she has bought into with regards the supposed damage that this will do to “traditional” marriages that she seeks to protect via this veto.

Governor Lingle’s decision to push this back again and again shows that she has no stomach for taking the hard decisions, nor does she understand that the rights of a given people are not subject to the majority vote given that so many people in this country would still be living under the thumb of segregation had the Civil Rights Acts of the 1950’s through the 1970’s been put up for majority vote.

If Governor Lingle had her druthers, Hawaii would be subject to the very lawsuits and legal actions which she claims to fear in handing down her veto. She has made it clear that her successor will have to deal with this mess again because her own prejudices came into play as well as her calculation that she had more to gain by vetoing this law than by allowing it to go into effect without her signature. Her hopes of higher office are likely dashed now as she will be torn to shreds by people on both sides.

The notion that civil unions are, somehow, like marriage is absurd, and yet that is her rationale. She opposes same-sex marriages because of her own beliefs and her own religion. She has, in this veto, acted against the Constitutional guarantee that the State- both Federal and states- will not impose religious beliefs upon their citizens. This violates the “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment.

What Governor Lingle has done is ensure that her state will be spending a lot of money on legal cases which will try to enforce the decision already handed down in 1993 that marriage equality or civil unions must be allowed unless there is compelling reason, and somehow I doubt that the courts will find that the need to ensure that the majority of Hawaii’s bigots have the right to impose their religious and social beliefs upon a minority will be sufficient grounds.

Editorial Note and Addendum:

Friday, July 2, 2010

Former Bloomberg Aide to Go After Opponents of Gay Marriage - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

Former Bloomberg Aide to Go After Opponents of Gay Marriage - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

By MICHAEL BARBARO

A former Bloomberg administration official will run a newly formed campaign to defeat state lawmakers who oppose same-sex marriage in New York, in the latest attempt to ratchet up pressure on elected officials to legalize such unions.

Brian Ellner, who until this week worked for the New York City Department of Education, will oversee the Campaign for New York Marriage, which is to be financed by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay lobbying group based in Washington.

Mr. Ellner’s appointment will be announced by the group on Friday. It represents a vindication of sorts for Mr. Ellner, who was the top candidate to run the state’s leading gay rights group last month. He abruptly withdrew from consideration after some gay advocates questioned his links to Mr. Bloomberg, a major donor to the Republican Party.

“I view this as an opportunity to build on solid work that has come before, and strengthen and expand the coalition that is necessary to secure marriage equality,” Mr. Ellner said in an interview.

The new campaign will seek to re-elect state lawmakers who supported the same-sex marriage bill last year, and to oust those who voted against it. After passing by a wide margin in the state Assembly, the bill was defeated by an eight-vote margin in the Senate, despite a vigorous lobbying effort spearheaded by the Empire State Pride Agenda.

“New York is at a critical tipping point in securing marriage equality and November’s elections hold the key,” said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign.

The group would not say how much money it intended to spend to elect pro-gay marriage candidates in New York, but those familiar with the plans said the group would seek to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next few months.

They are likely to target a handful of Democrats who voted against the marriage bill last year, including Senators Joseph Addabbo and William Stachowski.

The Human Rights Campaign spent about $1 million on political campaigns in Massachusetts to defend the state’s legalization of gay marriage there, which occurred in 2004.

The campaign’s organizers said they would work closely with several existing efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, including the Empire State Pride Agenda and Fight Back New York.

Even so, the entry of the Human Rights campaign — the biggest and best-financed gay rights group in the country — into the marriage debate in New York is something of a challenge to existing groups, especially the Empire State Pride Agenda.

In a press release from the Human Rights Campaign, several influential gay leaders praised the appointment of Mr. Ellner. City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, who is openly gay, called him “a great addition to the HRC team.”

Cuomo: Gay Marriage in New York Is a 'Priority' for 2011 - Metropolis - WSJ

Cuomo: Gay Marriage in New York Is a 'Priority' for 2011 - Metropolis - WSJ

By Jacob Gershman

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said that, if elected governor this fall, he would push to legalize gay marriage in New York during his first year in office.



Asked by a reporter if he would make the passage of a same-sex marriage bill a priority in his first year on the job, Cuomo told reporters in New York City: “It’s a priority.”

State lawmakers, he said, “have their hands full with their current legislative agenda, most notably the budget, but my opinion, my policy point of view, it is a priority.” Asked if he thinks a gay marriage bill could pass the Legislature in 2011, an off-election year, Cuomo replied: “Do I think it can? Yes.”

In December, the state Senate rejected a gay marriage bill in a lopsided 38-24 vote, a stinging defeat for advocates who had waged a long, expensive campaign and had won pledges of support from Senate Democratic leaders.

Not a single Senate Republican voted for the bill, while eight Democrats opposed the measure. The bill had earlier that year passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly for the second time.

Ethan Geto, a prominent gay political strategist, said he was heartened by Cuomo’s comments. “To me, that’s extremely encouraging. For the guy to say it’s a priority and then for him to say he may very well be able to get it done in his first year, it’s terrific,” said Geto.

Cuomo’s position on the issue has evolved over the years. When he ran for governor in 2002, the Democratic politician said he favored civil unions but did not support same-sex marriage. He declared his support for gay marriage when he ran for attorney general in 2006.

Since the last year’s defeat, gay rights groups, led by Fight Back New York, a newly formed political action committee affiliated with Denver-based Gill Action Fund, have raised money from wealthy gay donors around the nation to try to defeat state Senate Democrats and Republicans who opposed the bill.

The PAC backed the Senate candidacy of Jose Peralta, who trounced Hiram Monserrate, a former senator who opposed gay marriage, in a special election in Queens held in March. Monserrate, who was convicted last year of misdemeanor assault against his girlfriend at the time, had lost his seat in February after he was expelled from the Senate.