Rainbow Mittens

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• 1. Stormy  |  May 16, 2009 at 4:00 PM

  M= Co-Director Michelle Brown and ACLU Michigan LGBT Project staff attorney Jay Kaplan (aka the BGL, for folks in the know) on the Safe Schools bills:

  Michelle-School should be a place of education, sanctuary and personal growth, not of bullying. Children need to feel safe and their teachers need to recognize the definitions and effects of bullying.

  Jay-There are two bills, enumerated and non-enumerated. The enumerated bill specifically lists personal characteristics for which kids are singled out for bullying, the non-enumerated bill does not. Unity Michigan believes the non-enumerated bill can pass the legislature, but the enumerated bill cannot. Compromise is to include the model school board policy that enumerates, the State Senate refuses to bring an enumerated bill in front of a committee for a vote.

  Michelle-Although there are differences among the management and supporters of different LGBT organizations in Michigan, we all agree that Michigan’s children need to be protected. Although we may not get everything we want, unless we get something passed what we have is business as usual.

  Jay-Another approach is to work with individual school districts to get policies on the books. An enumerated bill will not pass in the current legislature (thank you, Three Whoresmen of the Gaypocalypse. /editorializing).

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• 2. Stormy  |  May 16, 2009 at 4:12 PM

  Jane Bassett of the Coalition for Adoption Rights and Equality and Triangle Foundation ED Alicia Skillman on Second Parent Adoption:

  Jane-Second Parent Adoption refers to a situation in which an LGBT person has a child with a person they’re not in a romantic relationship with (for example, a surrogate mother), then the individual’s same-sex partner is allowed to adopt the child. In Michigan the battle started in Washtenaw County and has resulted in an administrative ban on Second Parent Adoption at the state level. A bill was introduced by Reps. Paul Condino and Steve Tobocman to legalize Second Parent Adoption, passed through the House Judiciary Cmte. on party lines, then died at the end of the previous legislative session. The bill has been reintroduced by Reps. Alma Wheeler-Smith and Rebekah Warren, and has passed through the Judiciary Cmte. again on a party-line vote. The bill is expected to go in front of the full House shortly, but will never pass the current Senate. Jane also notes that numerous studies have shown zero negative effects on children raised by two parents of the same sex.

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• 3. jpowers155  |  May 16, 2009 at 4:14 PM

  The Anti-Christ is planning to put forward a state ballot measure in 2010 that would specifically ban second-parent adoption, including grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins and other relations. The Homo-Bigot clearly hates children and is profoundly anti-family.

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• 4. Stormy  |  May 16, 2009 at 4:16 PM

  Alicia makes a spectacular point that families with two mommies or two daddies need to let others see that their kids are well-adjusted and comfortable with having two mommies or two daddies. This is relevant to the LGBT community as a whole, though: as LGBTs, we have a responsibility to be out in our communities.

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• 5. jpowers155  |  May 16, 2009 at 4:21 PM

  Great point about all of the progressive groups need to support one another, not just work on our own issues. Look at what we achieved during the ‘08 election! Michigan Equality and Planned Parenthood (with the help of our amazing volunteers) called 37,000 Michigan voters. Now THAT’S teamwork.

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