March 18, 2009
Judge: Ark. foster, adoption ban suit can proceed
David Foucher READ TIME: 1 MIN.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - An Arkansas judge says a lawsuit can go forward challenging the state's ban on unmarried couples adopting children.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza ruled Tuesday that issues the lawsuit raises are important enough to go to trial.
The Arkansas attorney general's office had sought a dismissal, saying no one had been directly affected by the ban.
The voter-approved ban went into effect Jan. 1. It prohibits unmarried couples who live together from adopting or fostering children. Its authors acknowledge it was aimed at homosexuals.
The Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit on behalf of more than a dozen families. They argue that the act violates their rights and that its language was misleading to voters.
David Foucher is the CEO of the EDGE Media Network and Pride Labs LLC, is a member of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalist Association, and is accredited with the Online Society of Film Critics. David lives with his daughter in Dedham MA.
