Lesbian Couple Fighting to Keep Adopted Child

The Daily Mail reports

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of a same-sex couple in Fayette County fighting a judge’s order that the baby girl they’ve been raising since birth should be removed from their home and placed in one with a married man and woman.

Kathyrn Kutil and Cheryl Hess argue that Fayette Circuit Judge Paul Blake exceeded his authority and violated their constitutional rights by ordering that the 11-month-old be immediately transitioned into a “traditional” home.

They say the judge has effectively excluded them as potential adoptive parents of the child simply because of their sexual orientation.

 and

“I think I’ve indicated time and time again, this court’s opinion is that the best interest of a child is to be raised by a traditional family, mother and father,” Blake said. “Now, that’s this court’s opinion as to what a typical West Virginian would feel and what the typical attitude is of the West Virginia Supreme Court, a traditional family.”

Follow that? 

Judge Blake believes that ‘tradition’ is more important that a child being placed with a loving couple with a long history of being foster parents, who happen to be of the same sex. 

The child was placed with a potential ‘traditional’ foster family who four days later notified DHHR that they were not interested in adopting the child.  The child was returned to Kutil and Hess after a motion for an emergency stay of Judge Blake’s order, so the girl was returned to them.

In their petition, the couple argues that at least one of them should be considered as a possible adoptive parent.

“It is absolutely nonsensical for DHHR or the circuit court to remove the infant from the only home she has ever known simply because the court believes traditional families are the best environment for a child and as DHHR now appears to be attempting to avoid scrutiny by advocating for the removal of the child,” the petition says.

Charleston Remembers World AIDS Day

Last night, a diverse group of West Virginia citizens stood in solidarity with millions of people around the world in rememberance of those affected by HIV/AIDS. 

A beautiful serivce was held at the Asbury Methodist Church in Charleston led by Covenant House representatives who shared stories and poetry related to the those affected by HIV/AIDS. 

Upon exiting the doors of the church, attendees were given candles and made a procession to the Living AIDS Memorial Garden at the corner of Washingon Street and Sidney Avenue. A short, incredibly moving candle light vigil was held including a reading of names of those who have lost the battle against HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS is not a gay disease. HIS/AIDS is not an African disease.  World AIDS Day is important because it forces us to be reminded that this can affect anyone. You, me, your family, your friends, gay, straight, black, white, rich, poor. Anyone. It’s “our” battle, not “theirs”. The removal of the stigma attached to AIDS is an important goal that we should all work toward. The sooner we realize that, the quicker we can fight this. 

Do your part. Get tested.

The Fight for Equal Rights in West Virginia

West Virginia Code states the following:

§5-11-2. Declaration of policy.
It is the public policy of the state of West Virginia to provide all of its citizens equal opportunity for employment, equal access to places of public accommodations, and equal opportunity in the sale, purchase, lease, rental and financing of housing accommodations or real property. Equal opportunity in the areas of employment and public accommodations is hereby declared to be a human right or civil right of all persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness or disability. Equal opportunity in housing accommodations or real property is hereby declared to be a human right or civil right of all persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, blindness, disability or familial status.

The denial of these rights to properly qualified persons by reason of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness, disability or familial status is contrary to the principles of freedom and equality of opportunity and is destructive to a free and democratic society.

Which group is missing from this? Yea. Us.

As the religious ideologues in West Virginia gear up the fight against gay marriage citing the ‘family’, gays in West Virigina have real issues to worry about: the very real possibility of losing a job or denied housing (outside of Charleston) due to their. The rally against gay marriage in West Virginia is nothing more than a distraction.

We’ll win this fight but we need your help! Stay tuned for information on how to become involved in this important legislation.

Join the Impact Rally

This past Saturday, a diverse group of LGBT and LGBT supportive West Virginia citizens met in Charleston to stand in solidarity with 300 other cities across the United States at exactly the same time to protest the passing of California’s Proposition 8.

An effort started by JointheImpact.com, local supporters of LGBT rights leveraged tools like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to quickly mobilize an incredibly diverse group to peacefully assemble in request of equal treatment.