Arkansas' Department of Health and Human
Services is appealing a 2004 County Court decision that ruled it was
unconstitutional for the state to ban gays from becoming foster parents.
An attorney for the state told the Arkansas Supreme Court Thursday morning
that banning gays from becoming foster parents protects the moral and
spiritual welfare of Arkansas' children.
Arkansas already bans unmarried couples who live together from becoming
foster parents. State attorney Kathy L. Hall told the justices that since
Arkansas has banned gay marriage, gay couples should also be banned from
becoming foster parents.
ACLU attorney Leslie Cooper says this policy amounts to discrimination
since the state do allows single heterosexuals to become foster parents,
but not single homosexuals.
According to Cooper there is a shortage of foster parents in Arkansas.
Banning people from becoming foster parents just because of their sexual
orientation is not in the best interest of those children in need of care.
The Hunk
