From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bjoern Skolander)

PRESS RELEASE
Swedish Federation for Gay and Lesbian Rights (RFSL)
Stockholm, February 18, 1997

RFSL Presents Report on Gays and Children

On February 25 the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Affairs will begin a
debate on gay and lesbian parentage. A number of parliamentary motions from
politicians representing a number of different parties demand legal reforms,
which would make joint custody or adoption of children possible for same-sex
couples, and make artificial insemination available for lesbians.

The National Institute for Public Health (NIPH), will on March 6, 1997, host
a hearing on homosexuals and children.

In connection with the parliamentary debate and the NIPH hearing, RFSL is
publishing the report "Homosexuals and Children". The report is dealing with:

1) discrimination against same-sex parents in legislation
2) the registered partnership law and same-sex parents
3) research
4) the political debate

- There still exists a lot of ignorance and prejudice regarding gay parents,
says RFSL chairman Haakan Andersson. Fortunately, it does not prevent us
from getting children. Gay men and lesbians have been parents in all periods
of time, and it is getting more and more common that children are raised in
same-sex families.

- Legislators are discriminating against children of homosexuals and their
parents, by not recognizing the existance of children in same-sex families,
says Haakan Andersson.

- For the best of our children it is immensly important that legislation
equals gay and straight parents completely.