connection between being gay and pedophilia. As a community of LGBT
parents, we’re disheartened and disgusted by the seemingly endless
finger pointing and ignorance.
Just yesterday, I came across this post on the popular blog, Think
Progress. Here’s what the post said:
On his radio show today, right-wing talker Mike Gallagher responded to the
California Supreme Court’s
decision yesterday to bar “doctors from invoking their
religious beliefs as a reason to deny treatment to gays and
lesbians.” Gallagher agreed with a caller who wondered if the
ruling meant “pedophiles could adopt”:DAVID: The question I had told your screener, I said,
if I’m understanding, California said because of sexual
orientation, they can’t deny you service, so, does that mean
pedophiles could adopt?GALLAGHER: Well that’s just, that’s a great question. I
mean, if you work in an adoption agency and a guy comes in saying,
“I like little girls and I want to adopt a nine-year old girl and
I’m going to probably sleep with her while I’m at
it,” could the adoption agency person say, “well,
excuse me, my religious beliefs find that, lead me to find that
repugnant, I’m not going to do it.” Can he then turn
around and sue the adoption agency and win like the lesbian
did?Gallagher and his caller’s claims are ridiculous. Sexual contact
with a minor under the age of 18 is illegal in
California. In fact, California passed
the “toughest”
sex offender law in the nation in 2006. No matter how much the
right wing tries to insist
upon it, being gay is not the equivalent of being a
pedophile.