Kentucky Senate Bill 68 the Gay Adoption Ban (call it what it really is) advances

The Senate Judiciary Committee gave unanimous approval this afternoon to a bill that would ban unmarried couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents in Kentucky and it now goes to the full Senate.

This is nothing short of an attack against the gay community of Kentucky regardless of what they attempt to disguise it as.

Responses from our gay rights organizations:
"SB 68 is moving forward. The Senate Judiciary Committee Chairperson, Sen. Stivers, called a surprise meeting just moments ago to hear two bills. One of those was Senate Bill 68 ("Divisive Child Welfare Act"). Sadly, the Committee passed the bill favorably after hearing testimony only from the bill's sponsor, Sen. Tapp, and a representative of the Family Foundation of Kentucky." - Kentucky Fairness Alliance (by email)

- The Family Foundation of Kentucky? Give me a BREAK! I must point to a statement recently made by Kentucky Equality Federation last month: With national divorce rates rising because of layoffs, increases in daycare, and an economy in the tank, one would think a 'family oriented organization' would be focused on economic solutions to help take the stress off couples (such as using their money to provide free daycare instead of lobbying Frankfort against domestic partner benefits, and using children as political pawns). But, instead, they continue to focus on keeping a minority group of families from having the same civil liberties and protections as the majority.

"It is a disgrace that members of Kentucky's Senate are using children as political pawns against the gay and lesbian population of Kentucky," stated Kentucky Equality Federation's Managing Director, Laura Reed. "Kentucky Equality Federation believes the legislation will die in the House of Representatives should it pass the full Senate." (website)

The Fairness Campaign and others call the bill a thinly veiled attack on gay people, which Tapp denies [well of course he does].

Senate Bill 68 would actually apply to anyone cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of marriage.

Lexington Fairness has yet to issue a statement as has Equality Northern Kentucky (I am beginning to think they are just a website, nothing has been updated on the Equality Northern Kentucky site since December 2008). Lexington Fairness does have a nice letter on their homepage: "There are those among us that love attention and drama. When they have neither, they tend to throw immature fits to get what they want. You know someone like this … or you are that person."

Just what Kentucky needs - to punish children because Republican legislatures don't like gay people. How do these people get elected to office? Does anyone vote anymore? I am beginning to feel like I live in Alabama, Mississippi, or Florida (Dixie Country, the Deep South)!