Today is an interesting lesson on sad juxtapositions.
The above video is LGBTQ Nation's Authentic Voices (Presented by Chevrolet) spotlighting Stacey and Cheralyn Stevenson. They are a couple who had been turned away from an adoption agency in Texas for being gay.
In 2017, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a law which allowed "faith based" adoption agencies to use their religious beliefs to discriminate against prospective couples. And you know what this type of law always means for LGBTQ couples wanting to foster or adopt. In the above video, the Stevensons talk with Lance Bass about how they were able to have a family and are also helping other LGBTQ people to create their own families.
With regards to the Texas law, at the time it was signed by Abbott, its author - State Rep James Frank - said he wrote it to "help Texas solve its foster care crisis."
So did this law do the trick? Nope.
According to Raw Story:
Texas is facing a foster care crisis as Gov. Greg Abbott's (R-TX) government has failed to secure safe homes for the 15,000 children in the system. A class-action lawsuit was launched after it was revealed that children were sleeping on the floors in offices or in hotels. Children were sexually abused, given the wrong medication, neglected and more, the Texas Tribune reported.
. . . A report released this week revealed "501 children spent at least one night in an unlicensed placement in the first half of this year alone. Some children spent more than 100 consecutive nights without a "proper" placement. The report found that 86% of these children were teenagers, and many of them require intense or specialized care, due to serious mental health needs or past trauma, that they likely weren't receiving."
I don't think there is anything else needing to be said.
