| ‘Divisive’
Adoption and Foster Care Bill
Harms LGBT Families, Children, State
H.B. 515 Would Take Decisions About Children
Out of the Hands of Medical and Legal Authorities
COLUMBUS – On Thursday, Feb. 9, House Bill 515 was introduced in
the Ohio House aimed at prohibiting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
people – and those who live with them – from adopting or serving
as foster parents in Ohio. Republican House Speaker Jon Husted’s
chief of staff called the measure “divisive legislation”.
If passed, the bill would take decisions about the best interests of children
out of the hands of child welfare professionals and increase the burden
on an already overwhelmed system. Currently in Ohio, more than 22,000
are in foster care and over 6,000 children are without a loving, permanent
home.
“The swift and strong opposition to this bill from the leadership
in Ohio’s General Assembly is a sign that Ohio’s legislators
put the needs and interests of Ohio’s children first,” said
Equality Ohio Executive Director Lynne Bowman. “We will continue
to work with members of both parties to keep decisions about the best
interest of Ohio’s children where they belong, in the hands of medical
and legal professionals.”
The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported Saturday that Speaker Husted does
not support the bill. His chief of staff, Scott Borgemenke told The Columbus
Dispatch that Husted wants to see the House focus on other issues. Ohio
Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern told the media that Democrats
will likewise work to ensure that the bill never comes to a vote.
The introduction of H.B. 515 did not take the LGBT community by surprise.
Even before the bill’s introduction, Equality Ohio was working with
local, state, and national children’s advocacy and adoption organizations,
medical and legal professional groups, and LGBT organizations to provide
political leaders with all the facts necessary to make an informed judgment
about the mean-spirited legislation. Through its network of thousands
of activists across the state, Equality Ohio will provide Ohioans with
the tools necessary to stop the legislation from ever becoming law.
“There is no legitimate basis for excluding gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender people from the pool of potential adoptive and foster-care
parents,” said Bowman. “Groups ranging from the American Medical
Association to the Child Welfare League of America understand that children,
first and foremost, need a loving and supportive home, regardless of the
sexual orientation or gender identity of their parents.”
“We will continue to monitor H.B. 515 and work with people across
the state to make sure this legislation never becomes law in Ohio,”
Bowman said. She said anyone wishing to stay informed should sign up with
Equality Ohio’s Action Center at www.equalityohio.org.
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