Plaintiff in Florida Adoption Lawsuit Heading to White House
Gill Family Among Florida Gay Parents Invited to White House Easter Egg Roll
 |
| The Gill boys at home preparing for Easter before they head for the White House |
Even as they await a ruling on the constitutionality of Florida’s law banning gay people from adopting, Frank Gill and his recently adopted sons have reason to celebrate this Easter. Frank and his boys will attend this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll. They are one of two families for whom Equality Florida has secured invitations to the annual family event.
In November 2008, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman allowed Frank, a gay North Miami man to adopt his two foster sons, 10 and six-year-old brothers whom Gill had raised since 2004. In her 53-page ruling, Lederman concluded "It is clear that sexual orientation is not a predictor of a person's ability to parent.''
As they depart for their Washington adventure, the Third District Court of Appeals still has not issued a decision reversing or upholding the lower court’s finding that the ban is “unconstitutional.”
“Florida’s adoption ban is the most notorious state law in the country and we continue to work toward the day when it will be an embarrassing footnote in our nation’s history,” said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. “We’re also hopeful that the appeals court will soon confirm what child welfare experts have long known: The best interest of children is served by allowing qualified parents to adopt, without regard to sexual orientation.”
According the Florida Department of Children and Families, more than 200 children age out of Florida’s foster care system each year without ever being adopted.
Miami-Dade residents Mayda Perez and Simone Mayer and their three children will also attending the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Equality Florida is Florida’s largest statewide organization dedicated to securing full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
