Progress In The Back Woods

by Dick Mac

Humanity has always been challenged by our ability to disseminate information. The more information that flows to the citizenry, the better-informed the citizenry, the more sophisticated the society.

As Judas Iscariot sang to Jesus Christ in "Superstar": "If you'd come today you would have reached a whole nation, Israel in 4 B.C. had no mass communication."

As ideas flow from one community to another, from one city to another, from one state to another, from one market to another, we all become more enlightened; even when we disagree with the information or conclusions being shared.

In the United States, there are hypothetical badges of honor associated with being the first and/or last to do something. The first state to pass gun control, the first state to sue the federal government over the health care laws, the last state to enact consenting adult laws, etc. These are highlights often discussed in the media. The first, the last, the only, the best, ad nauseum.

In 1977, Florida was the only state to pass a law specifically denying homosexuals the right to adopt children. For 30-odd years, Florida has been denying homosexuals approval to become adoptive parents. Oddly, they have all along allowed homosexuals to be foster parents, a common route to adoption, but denied them and their children the legal designation of a "family."

News has not yet seeped into Florida that every homosexual is actually part of a family (being a brother, sister, son, daughter, etc.), and that homosexuals often build new families (becoming mothers and fathers), and that there is no empirical evidence to suggest homosexuals are bad parents. Florida has been our "Israel in 4 B.C.," seemingly not hearing these tidbits of information, or choosing to ignore them.

So, kicking and screaming, Florida was recently dragged out of the back woods and into the 20th Century. (The jury is still out on when it will join the 21st Century.)

The 3rd District Court of Appeal agreed in a ruling that Florida's ban is unconstitutional. The State of Florida has decided against an appeal, meaning that the decades-old law is now history.

So, even though Florida was the only state with this kind of law on the books, they are also the first state to abandon a law preventing homosexuals from adopting children.

Congratulations Florida!

Miami couple who successfully fought Florida's gay adoption ban officially adopts 2 brothers