Last week Rep. Pete Stark of California introduced the Every Child Deserves a Family Act which denies federal funding to states with adoption programs that discriminate on the basis of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity. From the Washington Blade:

Stark said in an interview that he introduced the legislation, H.R. 3827, in part because thousands of children each year “age out” of the child welfare system without finding homes.

“We got 25,000 kids a year maturing out of the welfare system without permanent foster care or adoptive care, and the prospects of those children having a successful adult life are diminished greatly,” he said. “These are kids who end up in the criminal justice system, or end up homeless.”

States with explicit restrictions on adoption that the pending legislation would affect are Utah, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska and Mississippi. Florida, for example, has a statute specifically prohibiting gays from adopting, and in Arkansas, voters last year approved Act 1, which prevents unmarried co-habitating couples, including same-sex partners, from adopting children.

The legislation, Stark said, also would restrict funds for states where restrictions are put in place by agencies, individual social workers or judges, or where restrictions are part of the common law of the state.

For states that don’t comply with the law, federal officials could withhold from the states funds provided to them for child welfare services. The bill also calls.

This is very good news, and it’s likely to create quite a curfuffle among the religious right, and Catholics in particular. Take Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for example, who appeared on Pat Robertson’s 700 Club last week to pimp his new book and said this about gays and adoption: “We’re not going to allow gay people to adopt children. That’s against nature. It’s against nature’s God! But they won’t stop!”

If H.R. 3827 passes, perhaps it will be the event that finally makes Bill’s head explode. We can dream can’t we?

Former pinup girl and television actress Farrah Fawcett passed away from cancer today at the age of 62. Fawcett was best know for her role as Jill Munroe on the 70’s hit Charlies Angles, and for the iconic poster below which helped launched her career into stardom.

Her long time love Ryan O’Neil released the following statement:

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away. Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.”

She will be missed.

California Rep. Jackie Speier has been successful in delaying Shirley Tan’s deportation, allowing the family to stay together for a least 2 more weeks. Speier asked immigration officials for the delay as to assemble additional facts about the case.

For more on Tan’s situation vist our previous post.

Thanks, Jackie… I am so glad you represent my district.

It’s hard not to be moved to tears… Here is a quote from Black’s acceptance speech…

When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life; it gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married…

Most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told they are less than by their churches, or by the government, or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what everyone tells you, God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours.