The End of Oklahoma Gay Adoption Law

OKLAHOMA CITY - A federal judge struck down a 2-year-old law that prohibits Oklahoma from recognizing adoptions by same-sex couples from other states and countries.

U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron ruled Friday the measure violated due process rights under the U.S. Constitution because it attempted to break up families without considering the parents’ fitness or the children’s best interests.

Gay-rights organization Lambda Legal had challenged the law on behalf of three same-sex couples.

“Gay and lesbian parents in Oklahoma can now breathe a collective sigh of relief because their relationships with their children are no longer threatened by the state of Oklahoma,” said Ken Upton, an attorney in Lambda Legal’s Dallas office.

It’s a beautiful summer day here. The sky is clear and no rain in sight. That’s a big issue here. It has been raining here pretty much every day for the last week. We are all sick of it. The rivers are overflowing. Aside from that, it’s hard to be cheery when day after day is cloudy and gray. Now I know how people in The Matrix felt.

And on this beautiful summer day, I noticed in the news that the Oklahoma gay adoption ban has been struck down by a federal judge because it violated due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. According to the article, the law specifically bans the adoptions that have been accepted and put in place from another state, from being recognized in Oklahoma.

For example, if the State of Rhode Island granted you and your partner adoption of a child, if you moved to Oklahoma, that adoption would not be recognized. The federal court ruled that that action violated due process because it does not take into account the best interests of ... anyone - the parents, or the child. I’m not sure if Oklahoma has a law forbidding gay couples from adopting. I believe Florida is the only state at this point in time that does, but other states are working on it as well.

So, for the other states out there thinking of doing this, you might want to think again. This ruling has now become legal precedence and will surely be referenced when you try to pull this in your state.

The article ended with this:

“It’s another case of an activist court trying to legislate from the bench,” said Republican Rep. Thad Balkman. “It’s unfortunate that a single judge is trying to rewrite the law.” (source)

For those out there who don’t like the ruling of this case, get used to it. I don’t know about the majority of you, but my patience is wearing very thin with people who pull the “activist judge” card every damn time they don’t get their way.

The judges are interpreting the U. S. Constitution. THAT IS THEIR JOB. It’s not their fault that you legislators put laws on the books left and right that can not pass constitutional muster. And when you don’t like what the Constitution has to say, you bitch and moan about it, accusing an “activist judge” for the ruling. I notice that you never directly attack the Constitution itself, other than our President and Congress bringing up placing a discriminatory amendment into the Constitution.

I often say to myself, “Thank God for the Constitution”, because if it wasn’t for that document, many of us “less desirables” would have met the gallows or prison long ago.

You all have a nice day. Kent is on his way to Washington, D.C. for a week of meetings. He leaves right after our breakfast at Monet’s Table at 9:00. I may go out to Mashapaug Pond today to Rock Point (I think my favorite place in Connecticut), and just relax and think about life.