Tag Archives: Adoption

Richard_posner_harvardzJudge Richard Posner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MRemxc1gxc

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Meet Judge Richard Posner of the 7th Circuit Court in Chicago.

On Tuesday, Judge Posner heard arguments against marriage equality  Lawyers for Wisconsin and Indiana attempted to defend their state’s marriage bans. In a series of retorts, the judge slapped down arguments for continuing the ban.

Judge Posner harshly questioned Indiana Solicitor General Thomas M. Fisher and in many instances the solicitor was left with no answer.

He asked Fisher if  gay marriage isn’t  “better for the psychological health or the welfare” of gay people’s kids? Fisher gave a noncommittal answer.

He asked “Why do you prefer heterosexual adoption to homosexual adoption?”, Fisher again struggled to respond.

He then asks why Indiana wants to “punish children” because “their parents happen to be homosexual.”

Adding: “Isn’t it much better for kids to be adopted? But if you allow same-sex marriage, you’re going to have more adopters, right? … You should be wanting to enlist people as adopters.”

Posner then asked Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Timothy Samuelson why Wisconsin doesn’t permit joint adoption by same-sex couples.

Samuelson stated that Wisconsin’s tradition of allowing only opposite-sex marriage is a rational basis for barring same-sex couples from the institution.

Posner asked Samuelson to identify a single rational basis for his state’s anti-gay marriage law.

When Samuelson claimed that “society” is helped by gay marriage bans, Posner replied

“How is it being helped? You’re not trying to force homosexuals into heterosexual marriage. So what is the harm of allowing these people to marry? Does it hurt heterosexual marriage? Does it hurt children?”

Any excuse.

Listen to a Conservative Judge Brutally Destroy Arguments Against Gay Marriage (Mark Joseph Stern, Slate)

pmac

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn makes a biblical parenting observation at Wednesday’s Committee hearing on the Children & Family Relationships Bill 2014.

Meanwhile….

jerryb

At the same hearing.

Deputy Jerry Buttimer asks Tom Finegan of Family & Life if gay or lesbian couples or a gay person could raise a child and give it the love and security it needs?

Earlier: Keeping It In The Family

15/5/2013 eHealth Week 2013(NI Health Minister Edwin Poots centre, with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Health Minister James Reilly)

The [Northern Ireland] health minister is set to take his fight against the extension of adoption rights to Northern Ireland’s gay and unmarried couples to the UK’s highest court.

Edwin Poots has been given leave by the Court of Appeal to appeal a ruling that the current ban on gay and lesbian couples adopting is unlawful.

…At present, a single gay or lesbian person can adopt children in NI, but a couple in a civil partnership cannot. The Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) said the ruling would bring NI into line with the rest of the UK.

Rainbow Project director, John O’Doherty said they were disappointed with the minister’s decision. “Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have noted the practice of banning same-sex and unmarried couples from adopting is discriminatory,” he said. “Enough public money has been spent on this fool’s errand. The minister should focus his time on ensuring the best available homes for children in care in Northern Ireland.”

Gay and unmarried adoption battle set for Supreme Court (BBC News NI)

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Orphan children have a meal at an orphanage in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don

The letter to Ireland’s lawmakers suggested Russia would proceed with this tactic despite criticism that it harms the interests of the country’s orphans, while also dashing the hopes of prospective adoptive parents abroad, who form an emotional and motivated constituency to influence elected officials. But the Kremlin, much diminished in its foreign policy reach since the end of the cold war, has few other levers of influence left…

 

Brian Sammon writes:

Russia threatens adoption ban if the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade passes resolution on the Magnitsky case…

 

Russia Using Adoption Leverage (New York Times)

Sergei Magnitsky?

Bill Browder’s story here

Pic: Al Jazeera

Further to our post concerning Demi (above), the husky who faced being put down unless adopted today.

There’s been a stay of execution.

Elliot Fowler writes:

Me and a friend of mine are able to take her, we live in Maynooth, and are more than capable of looking after her

Yay.

On the other hand most read the post and were resigned to Demi’s demise.

Happy now?

Earlier: Have You Room For Demi