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ITFTffiWTI news adoptive homes in 1998. T hat increase result ed from a special financial incentive the state offered people adopting children out o f foster care. But recently released 1999 adoption figures show a 12.5 percent decline in Florida adop tions, from 1,549 to 1,355. T he bonus grants, under a 1997 federal law, are awarded to states that increase the number of children who are adopted out of foster care. News of the drop in adoptions and the funding impact first was reported in the Miami Herald and verified Sept. 26 by the ACLU. “Statewide, children are languishing in foster care while they wait for permanent, loving adoptive homes,” said Howard Simon, Florida ACLU executive director. “The ban on gay adoption keeps these children in foster care. And now the state is losing much-needed funds because of it.” In May 1999, the A CLU and the Children First Project filed a class-action lawsuit chal lenging Florida’s adoption ban on behalf of chil dren who are being denied adoptive homes and the gays and lesbians who wish to adopt them. In recent months, the state twice has asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, but the lawsuit continues. "This case raises serious and troubling ques ★ ★ tions about Florida’s handling of child welfare,” said Michael Adams, ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project associate director. “State and national experts on children’s well-being agree that children are best served when adoption is determined case by case rather than through broad ‘cookie cutter’ policies like this one. W e’ve always known how much this policy hurts Florida’s children. Now we also know how much money the state is willing to pay to discriminate.” CALIFORNIA he controversial Dr. Laura talk show I already is in trouble, The Associated Press reports. Production recently was halted for a week amid low ratings and protests from gay activists, but a spokeswoman denies any thing is wrong. Linda Lipman says the move was part of a preplanned hiatus. The break will give Para mount a chance to retool Dr. Laura Schles- singer’s daytime show, according to Sept. 22’s Los Angeles Times and New York Post. However, critics wonder why a 1-week-old program already would need a facelift. Most agree Schlessinger’s tame television persona is to blame for viewers’ lack of interest. In addition, the Internet site StopDrLaura.com continues to mount pressure on all sponsors whose advertisements appear during the talk show. Coca-Cola was forced to issue a statement Sept. 22 in response to angry viewers’ calls. “The Coca-Cola Company has not directly purchased advertising on the Dr. Laura televi sion show, either nationally or locally, and the show is not part of our planned buy for 2000,” the document read. “Any Coca-Cola advertis ing that viewers may have seen on the show was placed in error by a local television station. We have instructed the local television stations where we advertise to adhere strictly to our media plan.’ • j n 4 e a ( i k u ‘F e i s ^ N o n t/u v e & t The / ¡ a t u r a d , Adter-native Pe t Foods andSupplies 9 AddHaturadFoods 9 Fes-loadF ^ ’ medies 9 Homeopathic Remedes 9 Pesticide F ree 9 Foods 9 Treats 9 7o<ps 1408 SE 39th (39th & Hawthorne) Portland, Oregon 97214 (503)236-8036 n T C T 7 7 ì T T 1 Your Downtown Chevy Store 2000 CH EVRO LET O VERSTO CK SALE Compiled by Copy Editor JlM R AD O STA, who can be reached at jim@justout.com. CAMPAIGN 2000 ★ ★ federal immigration law. The bill, called ice President A1 Gore called for grant the Permanent Partners Immigration ing gays and lesbians the same A ct of 2000, has 53 co-sponsors in immigration rights as heterosexual the House of Representatives. married couples during an M TV “Choose or Lose” town hall at the ♦s- University of Michigan. In re ajor national gay and les sponse to a question about immi bian organizations have gration rights for lesbian and gay combined forces to educate voters couples, he said, “T he rights that about presidential, House, Senate are afforded an American who gets and gubernatorial candidates. married to someone from another GayVote.com, a nonpartisan In country should be afforded under a Al Gore ternet site produced in conjunc legally protected civic union in the tion with the National Gay and same way.” Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Cam Suzanne Goldberg, Lesbian and Gay paign and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Immigration Rights Task Force board of provides facts about the candidates and their directors chair, commented: “Lesbian and gay stands on gay issues. binational couples are constantly tom apart “This year’s election is one that comes by discriminatory U .S. immigration laws. We along once in a generation,” said Elizabeth applaud the vice president and look forward Toledo, National Gay and Lesbian Task to working with him to secure for all Ameri Force executive director. “It has the poten cans— gay and nongay alike— the right to be tial to dramatically reshape the political together with the person they love.” landscape— for better or for worse— for the A total of 14 countries including the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender com United Kingdom, Israel and South Africa— munity. GayVote.com is an important and but not the United States— recognize gay indispensable part of the coalition that is and lesbian partnerships for the purposes of educating, mobilizing and turning out the immigration. In February, U .S. Rep. Jerrold G L B T vote. 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