From: ACTION ALERT Moderator Subject: ACTION ALERT: California (Gay Adoption) Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:26:35 -0500 (CDT) [ submitted by NCLRSF@aol.com ] PLEASE ALSO REPOST TO ANY OTHER CALIFORNIANS SUPPORTIVE OF LGBT RIGHTS.! National Center for Lesbian Rights CA ACTION ALERT--OUR FAMILIES ARE UNDER THREAT (National Center for Lesbian Rights, 870 Market St, Suite 570, San Francisco CA 94102 phone= 415-392-6257, fax= 415-392-8442) DEAR NCLR SUPPORTER: ENCLOSED YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION REGARDING PROPOSED REGULATIONS CONCERNING SECOND-PARENT AND JOINT ADOPTIONS BY LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES. WE ASK THAT YOU REVIEW THE ENCLOSED AND MAKE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE REGULATION KNOWN. THIS PACKET INCLUDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION, A SAMPLE LETTER AND THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS THEMSELVES. [for full packet, contact NCLR as shown above. this email contains only the background info and action as the rest didn't scan.!] CONTACT INFORMATION AND TALKING POINTS FOR WRIITTEN TESTIMONY IN RESPONSE TO CDSS PROPOSED REGULATIONS REGARDING ADOPTIONS BY UNMARRIED COUPLES On September 3, 4, & 5, 1996 hearings will be held around the state of California to hear testimony regarding formal adoption of a proposed policy of the Department of Social Services. Under current policy the Department is required to recommend against adoptions by unmarried couples. This policy has never been formally adopted and despite the existence of such a rule, judges throughout California have granted thousands of adoptions by lesbian or gay male couples, including primarily second-parent or "limited consent" adoptions. But now hearings have been set to formally adopt this discriminatory and arbitrary policy. [...!. We do not yet know what effect formal adoption of the policy will have on second parent or joint adoptions by lesbian or gay male couples. However, we consider this process and the language supporting the policy to be a threat to the ability of lesbian and gay male couples in at least some parts of California to gain legal protection for our families and children. WHAT YOU CAN DO **The most effective way to object to the proposed regulations is through WRITTEN testimony.** Written testimony will be more effective than oral testimony at the hearings themselves.The hearings themselves are staffed by a regulatory employee with no decision making authority or power. Written testimony is required to be reviewed and responded to by those who will approve or reject the regulations. Please write letters, encourage your friends, family members, clergy, ect. to write as well. Please copy NCLR on all letters so we can track this effort. *Address Frank R. Vitulli, CDSS Office of Regulations Development 744 "P" Street, MS 7-192 Sacramento, CA 95814 **Reference in your letter that you are writing in response to the proposed California Department of Social Services regulation regarding adoptions by unmarried couples.** *Note: All objections including your letter will be reviewed by attorneys in the Office of Administrative Law (OAL). After review of all written testimony and arguments the OAL, pursuant to statute, will make a recommendation to the Department of Social Services re adopting or rejecting the regulations. *Make your objections as clearly as you can--be as respectful as possible and make your arguments concisely. *Do not write anonymous 1etters. Background information for you: Prior to any regulation being approved for adoption it must be demonstrated that the regulation is "necessary" to carrv out the purpose for which it is proposed (in this case to provide the department (of social services) with guidance in determining the best interests of children in a prospective adoption). It is on thispoint that we believe the regulations to be most vulnerable. Moreover, the regulations must be the most effective means of achieving the stated purpose and must be less burdensome to affected persons than other alternatives. Thank you for your help] National Center for Lesbian Rights, 870 Market St., Suite 570, San Francisco CA 94102, phone: 415-392-6257, fax: 415-392-8442, email: NCLRSF@aol.com --- _____________________________________________________________________________ * ACTION-ALERT is a moderated mailing list. * * To subscribe to ACTION-ALERT, send mail to: majordomo@vector.casti.com * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: subscribe action-alert * * To unsubscribe to ACTION-ALERT, send mail to: majordomo@vector.casti.com * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe action-alert * * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! * _____________________________________________________________________________