A bill that would allow unmarried couples to adopt children together passed through the House Health & Human Services committee Thursday. Several gay women who are not currently allowed to be legal parents of their partners’ children testified in support of the bill, saying children of gay couples need the stability and support of two legal parents.
“My children deserve to know that their relationships with both of their parents are stable and legally recognized,” said one woman.
Reps. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton, Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, and Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial voted against the bill.
Stafford said the bill went against the will of voters who cast their ballots against Referendum I in November, but bill sponsor Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, said the issues were different
“It is about children. It’s not about what was on the ballot last year,” Madden said.
More after the jump. Ref. I would have allowed domestic partnerships, which are not addressed in House Bill 1330.
Swalm said allowing same-sex parents adopt children together was not in sync with his view of parenting.
“I think it’s not a historical accident that traditional families are considered a foundation of a healthy society,” he said.
Rep. Gwyn Green stressed that she saw the bill as protecting children – especially those that lose a parent to death. Without an adoptive second parent, she said, those children are often swept up in the social service system, thus also losing their remaining parent who doesn’t have a legal right to custody.
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