State accused of ‘gay agenda’ in ban reversal
Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008
Officials with the Family Council on Friday accused the state Department of Human Services of having a “gay agenda” and having a “sham” meeting on whether cohabiting unmarried couples should be foster parents.
The department announced Thursday it would repeal a rule banning gays and unmarried people from being foster parents
A legislator who opposes the ban later accused the Family Council of “hate mongering.”
Family Council President Jerry Cox said during a news conference at the Capitol that the Human Services Department “won’t protect” foster children.
“When faced with vocal opposition from a few pro-gay groups in Little Rock, DHS folded and put every foster child at risk,” Cox said. “Even though most won’t admit it, these groups and the state Department of Human Services are working together to advance the gay agenda in Arkansas.”
Cox singled out Janie Huddleston, deputy director of the department. She is married to Rich Huddleston, director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, which has strongly opposed the Family Council’s proposed initiated act to ban unmarried cohabiting people from being foster parents or adoptive parents.
Gov. Mike Beebe put Janie Huddleston in charge of the department’s Children and Family Services Division, which supervises foster care.
Beebe supports the repeal of the ban and has cited the need for more foster homes to look after children in need.
“The governor and Janie Huddleston and [the division ] have only one agenda and that is finding good qualified homes for our foster children,” said Beebe spokesman Matt De-Cample.
Currently, on any given day, about 3, 700 foster children are in state custody with roughly 1, 100 foster homes.
Cox said he couldn’t understand why the department made the change Thursday because the department had said it would take public comment through Oct. 18.
He said it’s “proof positive of a gay agenda in Arkansas” and voters need to “stop gay activists and gay-friendly bureaucrats from using foster children to advance the gay agenda.”
Cox said he had no criticism of Beebe because he doesn’t “know his heart.”
The ban was instituted in 2005, but a department spokesman said an oversight kept it from being submitted to the Legislative Council or subject to a public hearing until Oct. 3 of this year, when there was a public hearing at the department, department officials have said.
Department Director John Selig said Thursday the repeal of the ban still requires a 30-day comment period and review by a legislative committee.
He said caseworkers would still have to conclude whether any gay and unmarried people applying to be foster parents would be good custodians.
Department spokesman Julie Munsell said, “The original public comment period began nearly six weeks ago but because there was a hearing request [by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families ], we stopped the promulgation process until we could schedule a hearing. Effectively 45 days of public comment had already passed which is why we opted not to wait until Oct. 18.”
Cox identified these groups as being “pro gay”: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Civil Liberties Union, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and Arkansas Families First.
Rich Huddleston said “the answer is no” on whether his group is involved in a gay agenda.
“Our only agenda is a children’s agenda,” Huddleston said. “I can’t be any more direct than that. My job is to advocate for kids.”
Rep. Kathy Webb, D-Little Rock, the only openly gay legislator in Arkansas, said Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families does more for children than any other group in Arkansas.
“[For Cox ] to make those claims is outrageous,” Webb said. “It is a fact we have a lot of children who need good homes. What the [Family ] Council is saying is hate mongering. It’s sad for our state that is going on.”
Cox declined to say why he thought it was wrong for people to be homosexual.
“We’re not going there today,” Cox said. “If we need to have a news conference about what’s wrong with being gay, we will. We’re just not going to go there today.”
A group of retired circuit judges and Supreme Court justices announced earlier this week its opposition to the Family Council’s proposed initiated act.
Cox said he didn’t know the judges well enough to connect them to a gay agenda but said they were “working with gay groups.”
Cox and Family Council Vice President John Thomas declined to say whether they thought some gay and unmarried people could be good foster parents.
But Thomas said it’s possible to have exceptions to all rules banning certain types of people as foster parents. He said some smokers could be good foster parents and protect children. He said for the department to be consistent it shouldn’t have a rule banning smokers.
The judges said the rule banning unmarried couples from being foster parents would limit options available to the courts when trying to decide what’s best for kids.
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