rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (07/24/85)
"Nontraditional family ban": More news ====================================== Here's more news about fallout from the policy recently adopted by the Massachusetts Dept. of Social Services (& passed in the state House of Rep's as a rider to a budget bill, with governor Dukakis' blessing) forcing top priority in foster care, guardianship, and adoption to be given to "traditional families", ie, heterosexual married couples who live together & wherever possible blood rela- tives of the child(ren) in question, making it very difficult for single, widowed, divorced or gay people to adopt etc., an effective ban. As rumored earlier, the New Hampshire legislature is drafting legislation that would enforce a policy identical to that of Massachusetts. At least one gay NH'ite who is a licensed foster foster care parent is under investigation despite a lack of charges & of current foster children, simply because someone made a complaint (pointing out he was gay). In Massachusetts, there has now been I believe 3 cases of children being taken from gay foster parents despite a promise that the new policy wasn't retroactive (these placements occurred well before the policy change). In at least 1 of these cases, the parent is fighting the action legally. "Dump Dukakis": the campaign to protest every public appearance governor Michael Dukakis makes continues. When the Duke went to Washington DC on July 10th to appear before the Democratic Party Commission, 5 protestors, including Jeff Levi of the National Gay Task Force, picketed the hotel where the Commission convened. Levi said the aim was to debunk Dukakis' "progressive image" and to point out Dukakis' hypocrisy in seeking model cities programs in Washington for the state's "nontraditional minority households" while effectively banning "nontraditional families" in state-regu- lated childcare. Dukakis reportedly was "really pissed" over the Washington protest, for when he returned to Boston that same night he encountered another protest. [Disclaimer: the following may only be of regional, New England, interest. ] The first nongay legal challenge to the new childcare policy may be in the works. A Dorchester (section of Boston), MA married couple is fighting removal of their 2 or 3-year-old (pre-?)adoptive child: they "pre-adopted" the boy shortly after birth, when his mother & all contacted relatives refused to have anything to do with the child. Recently, an aunt of the boy in California demanded custody of him. The state agreed, but backed off when the couple fought the boy's removal. The couple is taking legal action. Whether this will affect the new policy depends on how broadly the case is argued or how broadly the presiding judge rules. More Dump the Duke news: last week in Attleboro, MA, the local paper generously made a protest by only 5 demonstrators (including gay Boston city councilor David Scondras, Greek-American like Dukakis) at a Dukakis fundraiser a cover story, preempting it as an account of the governor's visit. This Monday in Worcester a sole demonstrator showed up to picket the Duke's appearance at a local restaurant (which was very civil about the protest), giving Dukakis an earful as he drove by. A reporter for the Worcester paper interviewed the protester. Last night in Needham, MA another zap was scheduled; I've heard no news yet. Saturday, July 27th is Puerto Rico Day: Dukakis will read a procla- mation from the Statehouse steps in Boston in late morning or early afternoon (stay tuned for details later this week). A fairly large protest is planned, coordinated with a number of Hispanic groups (the state policy threatens single, unmarried, divorced or separated parents as well). For information, phone the Gay & Lesbian Defense Committee (look in or call GCN or Bay Windows for the phone number). Dump the Duke! Ron Rizzo "Tolerance, liberty, intelligence: where have these traditional values gone?"