Date: January 8, 1999
Title: "handicapped" homosexuals, we think not!

To the editor:

The Utah Division of Child and Family Services board Chairman Scott Clark is completely off based and offensive not only to gays and lesbians but their parents as well. In referring to gay and lesbian couples as "handicapped" in their ability to teach children proper sex roles and behavior, what does this say about the millions and millions of parents that raised these "handicapped" homosexuals? Should they be considered "handicapped" as well, and shut out of these overcrowded foster care systems in desperate need of additional families? Of course not and neither should homosexuals.

The plain and simple reason why Chairman Clark's argument falls on it's face is because gender identity and sexual orientation are not taught, they are inherent like eye color, race, left handedness, etc.

We have created our family through the Division of Youth and Family Services of New Jersey. We have been together for over 16 years and have "jointly" adopted a son and we have two foster daughters that we hope to adopt as well. When our state denied our right to adopt jointly, we sued and won. New Jersey became the first state in the nation to treat gay and lesbian couples equal to married heterosexual couples. New Jersey's overcrowded foster care system is seeing a new wave of applicants that have been sitting in the wings longing to help care for children.

In commenting about our victory in New Jersey, Tania Fernandez, Supervisor of the Division of Youth and Family Services, Adoption Services of Passaic County, NJ, stated that in watching the new wave of applicants, she noticed that homosexual couples are more accepting of those unwanted and older children, giving possibilities and hope especially to children over three or four years. Once a child is out of the toddler stage, the chances of adoption decrease substantially, but the new gay couples entering the program want the older children.

By adopting 18 children, we would guess that Chairman Clark is doing his part in taking care of some of the children in Utah's foster care system. However, Utah and all of America, should be looking for other ways of securing permanent loving homes for these children. Gay and Lesbian families should be a welcomed solution. We can and are providing loving stable homes for thousands upon thousands of children nationwide.

With foster care systems nationwide overcrowded to horrorific levels, Chairman Clark should focus on expanding the pool of potential families and not restricting it. Do not sell out the foster children in Utah to his ignorance and prejudice. Quite simply put, it is not in the best interests of the children.

Sincerely,

Jon and Michael Galluccio
Maywood, NJ
jon@galluccio.com
http://www.galluccio.com