LGB FOSTER PARENTS TARGETED BY DISCRIMINATORY AMENDMENT

Family Pride Coalition Action Alert

Wednesday, April 20, 2005


Yesterday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to ban gay, lesbian and bisexual Texans from serving as foster parents. The legislation also authorizes the state to conduct investigations into the sexual orientation of current foster parents. Representative Robert Talton (R-Pasadena) by-passed the committee process by introducing this legislation as an amendment to the larger foster care restructuring bill, Senate Bill 6. The legislation was adopted by a vote of 81-58.

Talton filed two anti-gay foster care measures during the 2003 session. Both bills died in committee.

This amendment would tear apart loving and stable families, and further reduces the already too-small pool of qualified foster parents in the state of Texas. In addition to the emotional and social cost of destroying Texas families, this legislation would also cost the state as much as $8 million a year by reducing the number of qualified foster parents and to conduct investigations into the sexual orientation of potential and current foster parents.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!!

We need ALL Texans who care about children to call their State Senator and ask them to remove Talton's amendment, which would ban lesbian, gay and bisexual Texans from serving as foster parents, from SB 6. His amendment would bring untold harm to thousands of Texas children.

Ken Armbrister
(512) 463-0118
(512) 475-3736 (fax)

Kip Averitt
(512) 463-0122
(512) 475-3729 (fax)

Gonzalo Barrientos
(512) 463-0114
(512) 463-5949 (fax)

Kim Brimer
(512) 463-0110
(512) 475-3745 (fax)

John Carona
(512) 463-0116
(512) 463-3135 (fax)

Bob Deuell
(512) 463-0102
(512) 463-7202 (fax)

Robert Duncan
(512) 463-0128
(512) 463-2424 (fax)

Rodney G. Ellis
(512) 463-0113
(512) 463-0006 (fax)

Kevin Eltife
(512) 463-0101
(512) 475-3751 (fax)

Craig Estes
(512) 463-0130
(512) 463-8874 (fax)

Troy Fraser
(512) 463-0124
(512) 475-3732 (fax)

Mario Gallegos
(512) 463-0106
(512) 463-0346 (fax)

Chris Harris
(512) 463-0109
(512) 463-7003 (fax)

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
(512) 463-0120
(512) 463-0229 (fax)

Mike Jackson
(512) 463-0111
(512) 475-3727 (fax)

Kyle Janek
(512) 463-0117
(512) 463-0639 (fax)

Jon Lindsay
(512) 463-0107
(512) 463-8810 (fax)

Eddie Lucio, Jr.
(512) 463-0127
(512) 463-0061 (fax)

Frank L. Madla
(512) 463-0119
(512) 463-1017 (fax)

Jane Nelson
(512) 463-0112
(512) 463-0923 (fax)

Steve Ogden
(512) 463-0105
(512) 463-5713 (fax)

Kel Seliger
(512) 463-0131
(512) 475-3733 (fax)

Florence Shapiro
(512) 463-0108
(512) 463-7579 (fax)

Eliot Shapleigh
(512) 463-0129


Todd Staples
(512) 463-0103Leticia Van de Putte
(512) 463-0126
(512) 463-2114 (fax)

Jeff Wentworth
(512) 463-0125
(512) 463-7794 (fax)

Royce West
(512) 463-0123

John Whitmire
(512) 463-0115

Tommy Williams
(512) 463-0104
(512) 463-6373 (fax)

Judith Zaffirini
(512) 463-0121

To send a fax to your own State Senator, go to http://www.lgrl.org/.

The Family Pride Coalition is the only national non-profit organization exclusively dedicated to securing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their families.

By becoming a member of the Family Pride Coalition you have the opportunity to dramatically affect the lives of LGBT parents and their families. Please join the Family Pride Coalition today by filling out our online membership form by clicking http://www.familypride.org/joinus.htm.