Out in the Mountains

Editoral

The New American Family. That was the ti-
tle of one of two op-ed pieces in The New
York Times in less than a week, celebrating
the successful second parent adoption by
the New York City partner of a lesbian
mother last month. James Marks, the law-
yer for the couple, wrote of the judge’s pos-
itive decision and its reflection of the
changing American family. Anna Quindlen
applauded the adoption and then went on to
talk about legalizing lesbian and gay mar-
riages; describing it as a, “radical notion for
straight people and a conservative notion
for gay ones.”

The New York decision and Judge Ketch-
em’s decision here in Vermont, both re-
ported on page one of this issue, lend an air
of hope and optimism to an era when gay
bashing is on the rise and the Supreme
Court and lower courts seem to be turning
back civil rights gains of the past twenty
years. We have special reason to be op-

timistic here in Vermont. When Judg
Ketchem can not only approve the first sec.
ond parent adoption in Vermont, but dog
in a way that recognizes that having two It
gal parents is clearly in the best interestsa
the child and when Governor Dean not on];
agrees to support the lesbian and gay civi
rights bill, but also makes a point of men
tioning it in his State of the State address,i
suggests a growing recognition of our neat
and rights as people and families.

As a companion piece to the adoption sto
ries, we’ve included a round-up of somt
children’s books about our families. Asl
your bookstore, school, and local librarylo
carry these titles. Like Hannah’s two mom;
how and why we come out may haveai
much to do with what we think is best fa
our families as with being political.

Deborah Laehman V

 

Name

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