Puerto Rico Supreme Court denies adoption for same sex couples

[Kuya]

Puerto Rico's Supreme Court narrowly voted Wednesday to uphold a law banning gay couples from adopting children.

The 5-4 vote came in the case of an unidentified woman who has sought for the last eight years to adopt a 12-year-old girl who her partner of more than 20 years had through in vitro fertilization. It was the first time that the court heard a case on same-sex adoptions.

A majority of judges upheld the constitutionality of a law that states a person cannot adopt a single-parent child if the would-be adopter is of the same sex as the child's mother or father without that parent losing their legal rights.

The judges also said a family composed of a mother and father is best for a child's dignity, stability and well-being.

CABE, an umbrella group that represents more than a dozen local human rights organizations, said the opinion shows the legal and social vulnerabilities of the island's gay and lesbian community.

"This opinion saddens us because we know that today they have emotionally destroyed a Puerto Rican family and left it without legal protections," said spokesman Osvaldo Burgos.

Chief Justice Federico Hernandez Denton dissented from the ruling, calling the law unconstitutional and saying the plaintiff's lawyers proved the proposed adoption would benefit the child. The girl, he noted, "proudly states: 'I have two mothers.'"

"Both (women) have ideal emotional skills, intuition and protective instinct to guarantee the girl's full and healthy development," he wrote. "In addition, tests showed that (the girl) is mentally stable, does exceptionally well in school and gets along very well with children her age."

By not allowing a second parent adoption, the girl does not benefit from the woman's medical insurance or a possible will, and the petitioner would lose custody if the girl's birth mother died or if the couple broke up, he said.

Hernandez began his opinion with a quote from President Barack Obama's inaugural address in January, in which he said that "our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."

The court's opinion comes as Puerto Rican legislators prepare to debate several bills that would extend more rights to gays and lesbians, setting off a heated debate in recent weeks.

On Monday, tens of thousands of people of different religious backgrounds marched to the island's seaside capitol to defend the traditional views of marriage and family involving a mother and a father. Several legislators joined the march, with protesters carrying signs that read, "Puerto Rico belongs to Jesus" and "Puerto Rico Stands Up in Defense of Family."

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...ldren-18548719

Things have been getting pretty wild here lately.

[Abandon]

no kids for kuyababy, etc

[kuronosan]

Estoy reirse.

[Callisto]

looks like you'll have to change your opinion about cats

[Kuya]

Nah, fuck that. I'm working with an umbrella group to approve legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity so this shit ain't staying how it is.

[Pirian]

Nah, fuck that. I'm working with an umbrella group to approve legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity so this shit ain't staying how it is.

How will turning everybody into zombies help to approve legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

Also, with this you would think the southern states would be jumping to bring them in as a state

[Clash Perez]

Also, with this you would think the southern states would be jumping to bring them in as a state

You're forgetting that it's mostly Mexicans down there.

[kuronosan]

You're forgetting that it's mostly Mexicans down there.

Fuck you lol

[Ksandra]

You're forgetting that it's mostly Mexicans down there.

A+

[ronin sparthos]

And thats a problem? 'Murica always could use more slave labor and women to sexually exploit for the glory of God, Guns and Capitalism.

[Restrat]

but these would be legal mexicans, the bad kind

[Kuya]

If anyone here is interested in helping support getting Puerto Rico out of the stoneage, you can help by liking and sharing this page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haz-lo...06080469431400

We're setting it up to help with our lobbying efforts that are already under way. Like the page even if you don't understand spanish, and i promise to sometimes make posts in English!

[Callisto]

How will turning everybody into zombies help to approve legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

Also, with this you would think the southern states would be jumping to bring them in as a state

ugh I was out at dinner, glad someone jumped on it right away

[Plow]

How will turning everybody into zombies help to approve legislation to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity?

Also, with this you would think the southern states would be jumping to bring them in as a state

No, silly. He's not talking about this:





He's talking about this:

[kuronosan]

Anything I can do to help I'm always happy to. Last time I went to Puerto Rico it was so run down with all the old conservative fogies. I didn't see many youngsters.

[Kuya]

Anything I can do to help I'm always happy to. Last time I went to Puerto Rico it was so run down with all the old conservative fogies. I didn't see many youngsters.

Your help is immensely appreciated!

[Qalbert]

holy shit it's gay tyven

[Patriarch]

i mean if they really want to adopt

just do what i did in ffxi and switch nations

[Churchill]

so in 10 years the word umbrella will be hatespeech

[Athas]

Now I can finally be like Brits and be all 'haha, stupid colonies'