From: Hrccomm@aol.com
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 13:16:28 -0500
Subject: URGENT:  Lesbian and Gay Parental Rights Under Attack

_________________________________________________________________
***URGENT***

Action Alert from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  communications@hrcusa.org
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
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              LESBIAN AND GAY PARENTAL RIGHTS UNDER ATTACK
                                                      
              GO TO HRC'S WEB SITE TO SEND URGENT MESSAGES
                          http://www.hrcusa.org


The House version of the 1996 District of Columbia budget bill
contains an amendment, offered by Representative Jay Dickey
(R-AR), that would prohibit unmarried couples from jointly
adopting children in DC.  The Senate version of the bill contains
no negative language on this issue.  The bill is currently in
Conference Committee where the House and Senate are reconciling
the bills.  The adoption language is one of the few issues still
outstanding.  This provision clearly impacts gay couples raising
children by insuring that only one adult would be recognized as
the legal parent, regardless of how involved the other parent is
in raising the child.  Representative James Walsh (R-NY) is the
Chair of the House DC Appropriations committee and is insisting
on the House passed language.  Senator James Jeffords (R-VT) is
the Senate Chair and has been supportive but needs to continue to
hear from us.  Senate and House targets and sample letters are
provided below.

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Dickey Amendment Language

"No person may join in a petition under this section unless the
person is the spouse of the petitioner."

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Talking Points

Here are a number of reasons why Congressional action on adoption
policy in the District of Columbia would be counterproductive:

     Parents and trained professionals should be allowed to make
     the best assessment, on a case-by-case basis, to meet the
     needs of each child, without intervention by the federal
     government.

     Restrictions would limit the rights of all parents to make
     decisions about the placement of their children in adoptive
     homes.

     Family law, including adoption, has traditionally been
     handled at the state level.  Congress should not be in the
     business of controlling family law matters.  

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PLEASE WRITE:

     Chairman Walsh urging him not to prohibit unmarried couples
     from adopting,

     Senator Jeffords thanking him for his support and asking him
     to continue his vigilance on this issue.

     And the following Targets if they represent you in Congress:
          Senator Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI)
          Sentator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)
          Representative Henry Bonilla (R-TX-23rd)
          Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ-11th) 
          Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9th)
          Representative Julian Dixon (D-CA-32nd)
          Representative Richard Durbin (D-IL-20th)

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                            Sample letter for
         Chairman Walsh, Representative Bonilla, Representative
                 Frelinghuysen and Representative Kaptur


Dear:

As you continue deliberations on the District of Columbia
Appropriations Conference Report, I wish to express my support
for the parental right of unmarried couples to jointly adopt
children in the District of Columbia.  

The D.C. Superior Court has ruled in favor of joint adoption. 
Current law preserves the ability of the court to grant petitions
for joint adoption if it determines that the specific
circumstances warrant such action.  The court understood that
each case is unique, and that parents and trained professionals
should be allowed to make assessments without intervention by the
federal government.

In conclusion, I ask you to consider what could happen to
children that are raised in a home with two "parents", but where
only one is legally recognized.  What if the natural parent
should pass away?  The child would have no legal right to the
financial, physical or other support of the other adult. 
Prohibiting joint adoptions is simply not in the best interest of
the child.

I urge you to oppose any measure that would eliminate joint
adoption in the District of Columbia.

Sincerely,

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                           Sample Letter for 
      Senator Jeffords, Senator Kohl, Sen. Campbell, Representative
                     Dixon and Representative Durbin

Dear:

As you continue deliberations on the District of Columbia
Appropriations Conference Report, I wish to express my gratitude
for your stalwart support of preserving joint adoption in the
District of Columbia.

As you know, the D.C. Superior Court has ruled in favor of joint
adoption.  The court understood, as you do, that parents and
trained professionals should be allowed to make assessments
without intervention by the federal government.

Again, thank you for your support of joint adoption.  Please
stand firm in your position so that the best interest of D.C's
children will be realized.

Sincerely,

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