Judge strikes down Mississippi ban on adoption by same sex couples

[Blake]

"Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday struck down Mississippi's ban on adoption by same-sex couples, saying it violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, according to court records.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan came in response to a lawsuit filed in August 2015 on behalf of four legally married same-sex couples, two of whom are already raising children, as well as the Campaign for Southern Equality and the Family Equality Council.

The plaintiffs argued that the ban discriminated against legally married couples.

The Mississippi ban on adoption by same-sex couples was the only one of its kind in the United States. Gay marriage was legalized in the state in 2014.

The lawsuit came just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down gay marriage bans as unconstitutional across the country.

"Two sets of our clients have waited many (almost nine and 16) years to become legal parents to the children they have loved and cared for since birth," Roberta Kaplan, lead attorney in the case, said in a statement on Thursday. "We hope that it should finally be clear that discrimination against gay people simply because they are gay violates the Constitution in all 50 states, including Mississippi."

The Mississippi Department of Human Services, which was named in the lawsuit, could not immediately be reached for comment.

In his decision, Jordan referred to the opinion by the Supreme Court that struck down the same-sex marriage bans.

It seems "highly unlikely that the same court that held a state cannot ban gay marriage because it would deny benefits - expressly including the right to adopt — would then conclude that married gay couples can be denied that very same benefit," Jordan wrote.

Citing 2010 census data, the lawsuit said one-third of the 3,484 same-sex couples living in Mississippi were raising children.

About 100 children in Mississippi are in foster care and legally available for adoption, the lawsuit said.

Plaintiff Susan Hrostowski, who has a 16-year-old son with her wife, co-plaintiff Kathryn Garner, said they had operated as a family in spite of the law but that the decision "means everything."

"There is no greater joy on this planet than to have him as my son and for the world to understand, appreciate and affirm that he is my son," Hrostowski said.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks; Editing by Peter Cooney)

http://news.yahoo.com/judge-strikes-down-mississippi-ban-adoption-same-sex-003408933.html

[Avante]

A boy needs a father and a girl her mother. It's not all that much about gay as it is not giving a child the best situation which is a mother and a father.

I have four kids, three girls and a son, when my girls became that age to where things started happening monthly they needed their mother. When my son wants to talk the rasslin', toss the ball around, lift them weights, drink some beer, ask about girls, he needs dad.

To not give a child the best situation is wrong. Two men trying to raise a little girl....why?

Then theres parents night at the school and theres Johnny's dual moms? Why?

Kids...Johnny has two moms?

If there is no other option available, ok cool, but if there is you give a kid a mom and a dad, that is the right thing to do.

[DMC]

Has Mason ever snitched on you to his teachers?

[Avante]

Has Mason ever snitched on you to his teachers?

Since you asked.

Mason mentioned my knowledge of music to the music teacher, so he called me and asked if I'd mix him a CD featuring prewar blues to play to the class, so I did.

The teacher was talking about the roots to it all. He had an idea but that's about it.

[MultiTroll]

Plaintiff Susan Hrostowski, who has a 16-year-old son with her wife, co-plaintiff Kathryn Garner, l (http://news.yahoo.com/judge-strikes-down-mississippi-ban-adoption-same-sex-003408933.html)
http://static.lgbtqnation.com/assets/2015/11/Mississippi-adoption-ban-500x340.jpg

[DMC]

Since you asked.

Mason mentioned my knowledge of music to the music teacher, so he called me and asked if I'd mix him a CD featuring prewar blues to play to the class, so I did.

The teacher was talking about the roots to it all. He had an idea but that's about it.
Sounds like a dope head. I'd bet he has a smokey mustache and wears flannel shirts in the winter.

[Avante]

Sounds like a dope head. I'd bet he has a smokey mustache and wears flannel shirts in the winter.

Clean shaven, seriously doubt he's into drugs. How he dresses at home in the winter..???

How can anyone teach music and not know about Charley Patton?

[TDMVPDPOY]

so whats the different how a child is raise up in
-single mom/dad family
-gay/lez couple
-bastard family
-domestic voilence family?
-boarding

[Avante]

so whats the different how a child is raise up in
-single mom/dad family
-gay/lez couple
-bastard family
-domestic voilence family?
-boarding

All those can't be helped. Placing a child in a home looking to adopt them can. So you want to place them in that traditional mom and dad enviornment. Simply common sense.

What did a child do to not deserve a father and a mother?

[Chris]

A boy needs a father and a girl her mother. It's not all that much about gay as it is not giving a child the best situation which is a mother and a father.

I have four kids, three girls and a son, when my girls became that age to where things started happening monthly they needed their mother. When my son wants to talk the rasslin', toss the ball around, lift them weights, drink some beer, ask about girls, he needs dad.

To not give a child the best situation is wrong. Two men trying to raise a little girl....why?

Then theres parents night at the school and theres Johnny's dual moms? Why?

Kids...Johnny has two moms?

If there is no other option available, ok cool, but if there is you give a kid a mom and a dad, that is the right thing to do.

qft

[Chinook]

when my girls became that age to where things started happening monthly

Proud of everyone for leaving this alone.

[Avante]

Proud of everyone for leaving this alone.

Are you really this immature?

[Avante]

My dad played football and ran track, and as soon as he could he had me out there running routes. The football almost as big as I was.

He liked to hunt and fish, I had a 22 by 10 years old. By 12 I could hit a rabbit 50 yards away, he taught me how to shoot. Mom never ran a route in her life and it was.....but they are so cute (rabbits) why shoot them?

A boy needs a man in his life.

You don't take that away from a boy by placing him in a home with two women. What boy needs that?

Johnny....hey Mom Number 1, wanna wrestle?
Mom Number 1....I think I'll pass.

Johnny...hey Mom Number 2, wanna toss the ball around?
Mom Number 2...ah....ask your other Mom.

Johnny....:depressed

[Blake]

Diary of an old fart

[Avante]

My little tag-a-long, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally owned:hat

While I'm here.

My mom taught all my older sisters (3) how to cook and sew, and do their make up.

A girl needs a mom, just not two arguing over how things should be done.

[Blake]

My little tag-a-long, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Totally owned:hat

How many times have you plopped your fat ass down in my thread and called me out for following you around

[Avante]

Is this sad or what? This dummy too stupid to notice nobody was talking to him. Who would want to?

[Blake]

Who are you talking to

[spurraider21]

If there is no other option available, ok cool, but if there is you give a kid a mom and a dad, that is the right thing to do.


About 100 children in Mississippi are in foster care and legally available for adoption


so, let them stay orphaned indefinitely? or if there is a couple ready to adopt and give these kids a permanent, stable home, do you think its fine

[Avante]

so, let them stay orphaned indefinitely?

Nope~

You try your best to place these children in a traditional home, like most of us had. If that just isn't possible then ya put them in the best situation left.

Nobody is saying a child being raised ny loving parents is a bad thing, regardless of what they are. But, it's only fair to the child to try and place them in that traditional family setting.

[clambake]

clearly, being from a stable home means horse shit.

[spurraider21]

Nope~

You try your best to place these children in a traditional home, like most of us had. If that just isn't possible then ya put them in the best situation left.

Nobody is saying a child being raised ny loving parents is a bad thing, regardless of what they are. But, it's only fair to the child to try and place them in that traditional family setting.
if they're available for adoption you cant just force them on a husband/wife. if the gay couple is the one actually offering to adopt, why would you say no

[Avante]

clearly, being from a stable home means horse shit.

What do the stats say about that?

[Avante]

if they're available for adoption you cant just force them on a husband/wife. if the gay couple is the one actually offering to adopt, why would you say no

You're kidding right? What do you think this is about? OBVIOUSLY...the only ones in consideration for adoption are those wanting to adopt. You look for a man and his wife first, if they aren't available then ya do what's best for the child.

Come on guy.

[spurraider21]

You're kidding right? What do you think this is about? OBVIOUSLY...the only ones in consideration for adoption are those wanting to adopt. You look for a man and his wife first, if they aren't available then ya do what's best for the child.

Come on guy.
yes. and if a child is up for adoption and a gay couple says "we want to adopt him" do you really want to say "well lets wait for a while and see if we can find a straight couple first"... how long are you going to keep the poor kids waiting?

[Avante]

yes. and if a child is up for adoption and a gay couple says "we want to adopt him" do you really want to say "well lets wait for a while and see if we can find a straight couple first"... how long are you going to keep the poor kids waiting?

Let me slow it down.

If a man and his wife..AND... a gay couple..BOTH... want to adopt the child, they go to the man and his wife. If there is no man and wife looking to adopt the child....guess what"?

Raider fan huh?

[spurraider21]

double

[spurraider21]

Let me slow it down.

If a man and his wife..AND... a gay couple..BOTH... want to adopt the child, they go to the man and his wife. If there is no man and wife looking to adopt the child....guess what"?
let me slow it down for you.

that's not what happened in this case.

[clambake]

What do the stats say about that?

you say you're from a stable home, and look what became of you.

you're a perfect "stat"

[Avante]

double

So you actually thought I was talking about this particular situation? Did you read what I said above?

Sometimes I wonder about you.

[spurraider21]

So you actually thought I was talking about this particular situation? Did you read what I said above?

Sometimes I wonder about you.
how many examples are there of a gay couple and hetero couple fighting to adopt the same orphan kid?

[Avante]

you say you're from a stable home, and look what became of you.

you're a perfect "stat"

Well let's see, here I sit making $$$$$. I own...

Pontiac Gran Prix
Toyota truck
GMC truck

A 10 room home, over 10,000 books, over 7,000 CD's, 200 DVD's.

Did I mention here I sit making $$$$$.

6-2 275 pounds of twisted railroad steel and these amazing dimples.

Then there's you, hahahahaha~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! Getting a nut bugging the grown ups on the internet, hahaha~~~~~~~~

[SpursforSix]

Well let's see, here I sit making $$$$$. I own...

Pontiac Gran Prix
Toyota truck
GMC truck

A 10 room home, over 10,000 books, over 7,000 CD's, 200 DVD's.

Did I mention here I sit making $$$$$.

6-2 275 pounds of twisted railroad steel and these amazing dimples.

Then there's you, hahahahaha~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! Getting a nut bugging the grown ups on the internet, hahaha~~~~~~~~

You can't count each of the 6 holding cells as a "room".

[Avante]

You can't count each of the 6 holding cells as a "room".

Well lets see....

front room
daycare room
kitchen
dining room
2 bathrooms
3 bedrooms
Fortress of Solitude

Yep, 10.

[Avante]

how many examples are there of a gay couple and hetero couple fighting to adopt the same orphan kid?

How dense are you?

I'm talking about if there is an option available, ok? If not, ok.

Wow~~~

Do you agree(((( if you can))) you'd want a child in a traditional family setting?

[spurraider21]

How dense are you?

I'm talking about if there is an option available, ok? If not, ok.

Wow~~~

Do you agree(((( if you can))) you'd want a child in a traditional family setting?
show me an example of where that option exists, where you have a straight and gay couple fighting over adopting the same kid

[Avante]

show me an example of where that option exists, where you have a straight and gay couple fighting over adopting the same kid

Who said anything about fighting over a child?

I'm talking about if you can place a child in a traditional family setting over a homosexual one, that's what you do, do you disagree. And answer the question.

You are dying, you can leave your kids with a successful man and his wife or a successful gay couple, it is your choice. So who do you leave your kids with?

[spurraider21]

Who said anything about fighting over a child?

I'm talking about if you can place a child iun a traditional family setting over a homosexual one, that's what ypu do, do you disagree. And answer the question.
that option implies that you have a straight couple and gay couple both trying to adopt the same kid.

ok, so you're getting your panties in a bunch over a situation that for all you know has never come up and never will

got it

[Avante]

that option implies that you have a straight couple and gay couple both trying to adopt the same kid.

ok, so you're getting your panties in a bunch over a situation that for all you know has never come up and never will

got it

Do you really believe that situation has never ever happened? You can't be serious.

Who would you want raising your children, a man and his wife or a gay couple, all things being equal?

You can't do it can you? You know you'd want your kids left with that mom and dad over a gay couple, but you refuse to admit it.:rolleyes

Save the silly....well it all depends on just who.......ha~~~ All things being equal, ok?

[spurraider21]

Do you really believe that situation has never ever happened? You can't be serious.

Who would you want raising your children, a man and his wife or a gay couple, all things being equal?

You can't do it can you? You know you'd want your kids left with that mom and dad over a gay couple, but you refuse to admit it.:rolleyes

Save the silly....well it all depends on just who.......ha~~~ All things being equal, ok?
all things being equal? i'd want to raise my kids myself. if not, then to trusted family (my sister, parents, etc)

my sister recently got engaged, but even if she later turned out to be lesbian and got married to a woman, there's nobody i'd trust more

[Blake]

You look for a man and his wife first, if they aren't available then ya do what's best for the child.


Which to you means to illegally discriminate against the gay couple by putting them in the back of the line. Got it.

[mingus]

As someone whose biological dad died when I was 9 (and my mom got married 4 years later, to a very good guy), there was a 2 year period where I didn't have a dad/father-figure, and I can remember how depressing it was. If it had continued, and my mom never re-married, or didn't re-marry a good guy, I don't know where I'd be tbqh. I have a friend whose dad also died young, however his mom never re-married. I'm pretty normal, my situation never had long-term repercussions, but my friend is pretty fucked up, and I can tie a lot of that into him not having a father figure. His dad died when he was like 3...

I think gays should be allowed to adopt but they have to be trained/educated/prepared before they can so that in raising the child they can account for what that child is going to grow up not having. I think brushing off what a (good) dad brings to the table, and acting like it's no big deal a gay couple can do it too without being educated, trained etc. is not only stupid but dangerous, potentially. Both roles NEED to be filled for optimal child development, but understand I don't believe they are required to be filled by the traditional the male & female. I do think however that whatever risk factors there are, not just by gay couple adoption but in ANY adoption, they need to be mitigated. The stats on focusing on adoption by gay couples raises some flags and it'd be a disservice to gay couple adoption rights (and not to mention the adopted children) to sweep them under the rug in the interest of political correctness.

[Blake]

The stats on focusing on adoption by gay couples raises some flags

What stats

[Blake]

Damn, Mississippi is really going to work against the ghey


JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House is sending Republican Gov. Phil Bryant a bill that would let government employees and private businesses cite religious beliefs to deny services to same-sex couples who want to marry.

Bryant would not say Friday whether he will sign House Bill 1523.


Bryant said of the bill: "I'm going to look at it like I do every piece of legislation and as soon as I make that decision, I'll let you know."

He signed a 2014 bill promoted by gay marriage opponents, saying government cannot put a substantial burden on religious practices. This year's bill is similar to the one Georgia's Republican governor vetoed Monday amid objections from businesses that said it would permit discrimination.

The Mississippi bill is also similar to North Carolina's first-in-the-nation law that limits bathroom options for transgender people. Business executives are urging North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory to repeal the bill he signed March 23. The Mississippi bill says people would have to use public restrooms that correspond to their birth gender.

Mississippi is one of 10 states considering bills in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer that effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The Mississippi House passed the final version of the bill 69-45 Friday, two days after the Senate passed it 32-17. Republicans hold a majority in both chambers. Bryant has often said he believes marriage should be only between a man and a woman. Under the margins for final passage, there would not be enough votes to override if he vetoes the bill.

Some corporations in Mississippi oppose the bill, including Nissan North America, which has a plant near Jackson; MGM Resorts International, which has casinos in Biloxi and Tunica; and Huntington Ingalls Industries, which has a shipyard in Pascagoula. All three are among the state's largest private employers.

Republican Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton, an attorney and pastor of a small Baptist church, told the House Friday that reporting about the bill has been biased against it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't buy the deceptions, the untruths of these articles that you've seen. The talking heads — they're wrong. This is an anti-discrimination bill," said Gipson, chairman of the House Judiciary A Committee and one of the bill's sponsors.

Democratic Rep. Christopher Bell of Jackson called the bill "an open container for discrimination across the board."

"We're asking to legalize discrimination," Bell said. "What comes next? Are we going to start discriminating against interracial marriages? Are we going to start discriminating ... against African-Americans? Asians? Jews? When does it stop?"

The House passed the bill a day after a federal judge blocked Mississippi from enforcing the nation's last ban on adoptions by same-sex couples. The bill says the state could not punish people involved with foster care or adoption who teach children that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, that sex should only take place inside such a marriage and that gender is set at birth.

____

Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus .


https://www.yahoo.com/news/miss-governor-gets-bill-allowing-denial-services-gays-150501046.html?nhp=1

[Avante]

all things being equal? i'd want to raise my kids myself. if not, then to trusted family (my sister, parents, etc)

my sister recently got engaged, but even if she later turned out to be lesbian and got married to a woman, there's nobody i'd trust more

Ok man.

You are dying, you have no relatives, you have no friends, you have a son he is 10. You have nobody to leave the boy with so you put him up for adoption. Being he looks like you, not many want the boy, then finally, FINALLY, a gay couple and a man and his wife want him. It's your choice...well?

[Blake]

Ok man.

You are dying, you have no relatives, you have no friends, you have a son he is 10. You have nobody to leave the boy with so you put him up for adoption. Being he looks like you, not many want the boy, then finally, FINALLY, a gay couple and a man and his wife want him. It's your choice...well?

How bout make it the kids choice

[spurraider21]

You are dying, you have no relatives, you have no friends
spare me your life story, man

[spurraider21]

by the way, there's no scenario where I die and i don't have anything in my will regarding who will get my children

[Avante]

spare me your life story, man

So you would leave your kid to the man and his wife, why can't you admit that?

[Avante]

by the way, there's no scenario where I die and i don't have anything in my will regarding who will get my children

Ok....

So do you think a child should be raised with a mom and a dad or two moms or two dads. if everything else was equal?

[spurraider21]

Ok....

So do you think a child should be raised with a mom and a dad or two moms or two dads. if everything else was equal?
whichever are going to be the better providing and more caring parents. beyond that, yes i'm sure it would be useful for there to be a male figure and female figure (to help guide the son/daughter when certain situations come up). but kids have so many other role models to look up to. i never really had "the talk" with my old man. i mean we would discuss things here and there, but there was never that one definitive "talk." in fact i would talk to my cousins or friends more than i did with my dad about that stuff.

so the importance of that can be pretty overrated. as long as the parents are loving, caring, providing, and supportive i couldn't care less

[Avante]

whichever are going to be the better providing and more caring parents. beyond that, yes i'm sure it would be useful for there to be a male figure and female figure (to help guide the son/daughter when certain situations come up). but kids have so many other role models to look up to. i never really had "the talk" with my old man. i mean we would discuss things here and there, but there was never that one definitive "talk." in fact i would talk to my cousins or friends more than i did with my dad about that stuff.

so the importance of that can be pretty overrated. as long as the parents are loving, caring, providing, and supportive i couldn't care less

So you do get it, I knew it.


All that other, I can't agree with Avante totally was, hahaha~~~~~~

[Avante]

Was that funny or what? The guy tried everything possible to never, ok ok you're right, it is better for a kid to have a mom and a dad.

Ha~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Blake]

Was that funny or what? The guy tried everything possible to never, ok ok you're right, it is better for a kid to have a mom and a dad.

Ha~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your reading comprehension skills blow

[Avante]

yes i'm sure it would be useful for there to be a male figure and female figure (to help guide the son/daughter when certain situations come up).

[Avante]

As someone whose biological dad died when I was 9 (and my mom got married 4 years later, to a very good guy), there was a 2 year period where I didn't have a dad/father-figure, and I can remember how depressing it was. If it had continued, and my mom never re-married, or didn't re-marry a good guy, I don't know where I'd be tbqh. I have a friend whose dad also died young, however his mom never re-married. I'm pretty normal, my situation never had long-term repercussions, but my friend is pretty fucked up, and I can tie a lot of that into him not having a father figure. His dad died when he was like 3...

I think gays should be allowed to adopt but they have to be trained/educated/prepared before they can so that in raising the child they can account for what that child is going to grow up not having. I think brushing off what a (good) dad brings to the table, and acting like it's no big deal a gay couple can do it too without being educated, trained etc. is not only stupid but dangerous, potentially. Both roles NEED to be filled for optimal child development, but understand I don't believe they are required to be filled by the traditional the male & female. I do think however that whatever risk factors there are, not just by gay couple adoption but in ANY adoption, they need to be mitigated. The stats on focusing on adoption by gay couples raises some flags and it'd be a disservice to gay couple adoption rights (and not to mention the adopted children) to sweep them under the rug in the interest of political correctness.

You nailed it my man:toast

A boy needs a father, not two moms who argue over how to raise a kid. Simply common sense.

[mingus]

What stats

It's been a while since I read the study (maybe a year), but it was conducted by the IIRC the Family Research Council or something like that. It claimed to be the only study (at the time) with a big enough, reliable enough sample size. It looked at children adopted by gay couples and found that they were at higher risk for things such as molestation, depression, drug addiction, not finishing college etc. (basically out of some 60 categories which you could say are predictors of achievmant these children, now adults, faired worse than kids not raised by a gay couple in all but 4 categories, and by statistically significant margins in a lot of them).

You can search for the article, but if you come up empty I can link it for you.

Of course, every article has its biases. I don't personally know anything about the group (hell, I'm not even sure if I have its name down) or reliability, but I'm sure they're susceptible potentially to the same political biases & interest group pressures that most others are. I'm not kidding myself. But, all I can go on is the study, and if it didn't give conclusive answers to some of these questions--and as I did I'm sure you can see they're not without their underlying assumptions that warrant still further investigation--it at least sheds some light on the issue, where I personally feel that "political correct" people have dismissed outright way too easily since it may hurt feelings :cry.

[Blake]

It's been a while since I read the study (maybe a year), but it was conducted by the IIRC the Family Research Council or something like that. It claimed to be the only study (at the time) with a big enough, reliable enough sample size. It looked at children adopted by gay couples and found that they were at higher risk for things such as molestation, depression, drug addiction, not finishing college etc. (basically out of some 60 categories which you could say are predictors of achievmant these children, now adults, faired worse than kids not raised by a gay couple in all but 4 categories, and by statistically significant margins in a lot of them).

You can search for the article, but if you come up empty I can link it for you.

Of course, every article has its biases. I don't personally know anything about the group (hell, I'm not even sure if I have its name down) or reliability, but I'm sure they're susceptible potentially to the same political biases & interest group pressures that most others are. I'm not kidding myself. But, all I can go on is the study, and if it didn't give conclusive answers to some of these questions--and as I did I'm sure you can see they're not without their underlying assumptions that warrant still further investigation--it at least sheds some light on the issue, where I personally feel that "political correct" people have dismissed outright way too easily since it may hurt feelings :cry.

Family Research Council is a biased conservative Christian entity.