Mother Bear

I’ve become a mother bear. I am ready to fight for my guys to the death. I will protect them with all my might. Momma B and I - not our state’s inane legislators - will make the right choices for them. We will not stop until our boys have the rights and privileges that all other kids in this state have.

We’ve been pushing HB318 during this legislative session. It will remove the co-habitation clause from our existing adoption laws. (Essentially, if you live with someone – romantic relationship or not – you are unable to adopt or foster a child in this state. If you are single and living alone – gay or not - you can adopt. Ridiculous.)

The bill is currently at a standstill. It hasn’t made its way out of the rules committee because they will not release it. And, by “they” I mean two or three ultra-conservative representatives. There was enough support from the rest of the rules committee to release the bill; boy, were we excited only to have our hopes dashed when we found that the rules of “the game” had changed this year. Having a majority of the vote doesn’t count. The leader of the committee must give it his/her blessing. Obviously, the leader is one of “them.”

A very effective rally was held on February 13 during a hideous snowstorm. There were a lot of people there considering the weather. There were a lot of kids, and some media coverage. The speakers were very passionate, and I whole-heartedly commend Rep. Chavez-Houck for sponsoring this bill. She is not a lesbian, but is committed to equal rights for everyone.

The opposition has, of course, claimed that this is about the “gay agenda.” Allowing us to adopt children (usually our OWN children that we chose to bring into this world with our spouses and that we’re already raising) is some way of trying to validate gay marriage. We’re using our kids to get gay marriage approved.

It’s about none of these things. It’s about the welfare of the children in this strange state. It’s about giving kids access to BOTH parents’ social security benefits. It’s about allowing both/either parent to insure their own children. It’s about giving children the security of having either parent admit them to the hospital in an emergency. It’s about allowing both/either parent sit at a child’s hospital bedside.

I am not using my kids to somehow get gay marriage passed in this often backwards state, but I’ll tell you what I DO use them for:
I use them as a motivation to eat a healthier diet.
I use them as an excuse to play on the floor.
I use them as a reason to make up rhymes and sing silly songs.
I use them as a justification to buy funny toys with flashing lights, clicks, rattles, squeakers, bells, whistles and obnoxious and tinny-sounding songs.
I guess that you can say that I do use them, but not for my own political gain.

Legislators be damned. We WILL win this adoption battle. If it doesn’t happen really soon, we’ll move to a state where it’s a non-issue. Then, we’ll move back, and I will parade up and down the capitol steps with our legal and binding paperwork proving that we’re both parents in the eyes of the law. I can hardly wait for that day.