A Florida Republican lawmaker switched his vote on a bill that would allow same-sex couples to adopt, voting against it rather than “affirming homosexuality” – despite the consequences to children.
On Election Day in 2008, while the nation was outraged that California voters had taken away the right of same-sex couples to marry, Florida had done the same thing, and worse, had taken away the right of same-sex couples to adopt. Fast forward to now, and Florida same-sex couples are able to marry and to adopt, thanks to the federal courts.
Anti-gay Republican lawmakers in the Sunshine State are doing their damnedest to roll that back, as we speak.
Today, lawmakers are voting on a bill that would one again steal the right of same-sex couples to adopt.
Last month Republican State Rep. Dennis Baxley supported a bill that adds financial assistance and changes some rules related to adoption and the families who adopt children, granting them greater access to support services. It’s a win-win for the state and for the children.
But Rep. Baxley overnight changed his mind, despite how it would help needy children.
Zack Ford at ThinkProgress reports that Baxley “explained that after initially supporting the bill, he prayed on it and decided that he had to reverse his vote because he couldn’t affirm homosexuality.”
“I don’t hate anybody. I don’t want to discriminate against anybody. I’m not phobic, but I simply can’t affirm homosexuality. My compass won’t go there, knowing what I know biblically. And so I ask people to please understand the circumstances.†Baxley said that his sin was resigning himself to the idea that the issue had been lost in the courts already.
“I could save some kids, but that rationale breaks down in the bigger picture. And so in prayer and in a moment of moral clarity the next morning it was just, ‘Dennis, you’ve affirmed homosexuality, that won’t work. You can’t be there.’â€
https://soundcloud.com/thinkpro/florida-rep-dennis-baxley-r-i-simply-cant-affirm-homosexuality
Yes, it’s more important for Rep. Baxley to register his moral outrage, children be damned.
Baxley is also chummy with anti-gay activist John Stemberger of the Florida Family Council, and last month posted this tweet:
This isn’t Rep. Baxley’s first experience as an anti-gay activist.
In 2013, Rep. Baxley attacked same-sex families during a House subcommittee rant. Equality Florida denounced Baxley for “disparaging LGBT parents, comparing them to abusive parents and equating having same-sex parents with alcoholism.”
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