"I Am A Homosexual" - Check Yes Or No

Over at Daily Kos, a straight woman is flabbergasted by the adoption form sent to her by the state of Florida.

As I am a straight, married woman, and my husband is a straight, married man, it never occurred to either of us that--after the volumes of paperwork we had to complete as a couple, the copies of marriage certificates we had to supply, and the hours and hours of Partnerships in Parenting classes we had to complete as a couple--we would yet have to again affirm our heterosexuality so that we could have the rights to adopt our foster children as our own.

Page 5, section G. of our adoptive home application reads (with check boxes for Yes and No):

Section 63.042(3), F.S. states that "no person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is a homosexual."

I am a homosexual. Yes No

Husband (Man)

Wife (Woman)

I am a bisexual. Yes No

Husband (Man)

Wife (Woman)

In addition to the fact that I think that our state's law prohibiting same-sex adoption equality is Draconian B.S., I find this question on the application not only intrusive, but offensively stupid and redundant. If we are applying as a married het couple, isn't it assumed that (duh) we are not gay and thus able to BE married in Florida? Recall that same-sex marriage is already banned in Florida, and the despicably-supported Amendment 2 goes so far as to ban civil unions as well.

Is the Florida DCF automatically assuming that my husband and I would be "hiding" behind marriage in a closeted situation? Although this is definitely not the case, what business is it of theirs to interfere with what may be going on in our hearts and souls? Furthermore, if being gay or lesbian is what Florida feels is the worst that can happen to an adopted foster child--who has most likely already been beaten, neglected, and sometimes sexually abused by their biological STRAIGHT parents--why do they care to assume "the worst" about us?

There is a movement underway to repeal Florida's ban on gay adoption. Visit Equality Florida for updates and information on how to help.