UPDATE: Family Pride Puts Adoption.com on Notice
Dustin on Jun 19th 2007
On May 25, 2007, I shared the news with the readers of Family Pride’s Blog that Adoption.com and its affiliates had lost an important court case in California. The company, which advertises itself as the #1 online destination for adoption services nationwide, was found guilty of discriminating against a gay couple under California law. The site refused to post the couple’s profile simply because they are gay.
Further investigation showed that Adoption.com, ParentProfiles.com and others are religiously motivated organizations with strong ties to ultraconservative legal groups, such as the Alliance Defense Fund.
Rather than ending their discriminatory behavior and continuing to service the hundreds of prospective adoptive families in California, Adoption.com decided to stop doing business in the Golden State. Family Pride responded by calling our members to action. Numerous families responded, sending messages to ParentProfiles.com. Family stories and photos were shared with people who claim that a married mom and dad couple is the only kind fit for parenting.
This could very well be the first time these people have experienced an LGBTQ family.
While we do not claim to have changed all of their hearts and minds this time, we know that starting the conversation with the fact of our families is the right way to go. To ensure that LGBTQ family voices are heard, we at Family Pride are now preparing a package of materials to send to Adoption.com headquarters in Gilbert, Arizona. Included in that package will be hard copies of each e-mail message sent to ParentProfiles.com and forwarded to Family Pride. Also included will be a letter from Family Pride’s Executive Director, Jennifer Chrisler, reminding these people what really matters when it comes to adoption: placing all adoptable children with loving, permanent families.
If you suspect that you’re the victim of discrimination based on your sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, contact Family Pride or the legal organizations that protect our families: the National Center for Lesbian Rights, The ACLU LGBT Project, Lambda Legal and GLAD (New England). To report discrimination immediately, contact your state attorney general’s office. The attorneys general typically process civil rights and discrimination complaints.
In the meantime, read Jennifer’s letter, posted below. If you can’t read it, click to download the PDF.
Filed in action, adoption, general |
I e-mailed them a few times, but never heard anything back.
That, Mike, I’m not surprised about. It’s telling that people who knowingly discriminate against others are seldom likely to own up to it in public, to stand proudly behind their beliefs. Adoption.com would like to pretend like this didn’t happen. That’s why your stories matter so much, and why we’re sending hard copies to make sure these stories are heard. Thanks for writing–then and now. –Dustin