Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 21:00:48 -0400
From: Timothy Ross Wilson <tim@magi.com>

ambidge@ecf.toronto.edu (Chris Ambidge) wrote:
>from the Toronto >Globe & Mail< Thursday 95 06 22 pg A1
>typos are mine, permission is not.
>
>=== begin text ===
>
>BC TO LET GAY COUPLES ADOPT
>#Bill eases search for birth parents#
>
>by Craig McInnes / British Columbia bureau
>
>VICTORIA -- the BC government is taking the 
>controversial step of allowing gay and lesbian couples 
>to apply to adopt children as part of a major overhaul 
>of the province's adoption laws.
>
>The proposed Adoption Act, given first reading in the 
>legislature yesterday, would also make it easier for 
>adopted children to find their birth parents and would 
>make private adoptions subject to the same regulation as 
>those arranged through public agencies.
>
>[paragraph on aboriginal communities omitted]
>
>Even before the act was tabled yesterday, the Reform 
>Party of British Columbia attacked provisions allowing 
>same-sex couples to adopt.
>
>"I believe in the traditional family," Reform MLA 
>Richard Neufeld told reporters.  "Male and female should 
>be raising the children."
>
>Saskatchewan and Quebec already allow same-sex couples 
>to adopt.  But when the NDP government in Ontario tried 
>to bring in a similar measure last year as part of an 
>omnibus gay-rights bill, it sparked a storm or protest.
>
>In a free vote, a dozen New Democrat MPPs voted against 
>the bill, ensuring its defeat.  Since then, an Ontario 
>court has ruled that the province's law restricting 
>adoptions by same-sex couples is unconstitutional.
>
>Just changing he law in British Columbia would not lead 
>to a flood of same-sex couples adoption infants.
>
>Barbara Findlay, co-chairwoman of the Lesbian and Gay 
>rights section of the BC Bar Association, said the main 
>impact would be on same-sex couples in which one of the 
>partners already has a child.
>
>Under the act, they would be able t adopt that child as 
>a couple, giving both partners the legal rights and 
>obligations of parents.
>
>"We're delighted.  now lesbian and gay families will be 
>able to formalise or regularise their family status," Ms 
>Findlay said.
>
>[remainder of article, dealing with adoption wait-lists, 
>private adoptions, and allowing adopted children and 
>birth parents to find each other, omitted]
>
>=== end of text ===
>
>Chris
>
>
>-- 
>Chris Ambidge / ambidge@ecf.toronto.edu / ambidge@ecf.utoronto.ca  
>   chemical engineering / university of toronto
>   200 college st / toronto ON / M5S 1A4 // 416 978 3106


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