Judge removes child from same-sex foster family, says she’ll be ‘better off’ with straight couple
By Will Stroude
A Utah judge has ordered a child to be removed from the care of her same-sex foster parents so that she can be place with a heterosexual couple.
April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, who are married and had planned to legally adopt the child, told KUTV that the judge’s decision she would be “better off” with a straight couple has left them “heartbroken”, and that they intend to fight the ruling with the support of the child’s biological mother.
Ms Peirce said: [It’s] heartbreaking, because we’ve been told to care for this child like a mother would, and I’m her mother, that’s who she knows,” Ms Peirce said. “And she’s just going to be taken away in seven days to another, probably good, loving home, but it’s not fair and it’s not right, and it hurts me really badly becasue I’ve done nothing wrong.”
She added: “The law, as I understand it, reads that any legally married couple can foster and adopt.”
The judge in question, Scott Johanson has cited research showing that children in same-sex homes ‘don’t do as well’ as those place in heterosexual homes – but he has refused to hand over the research in question.
April and Beckie – who are already raising Beckie’s two children and had hoped to add to their family, say they believe the judge’s decision is religiously-motivated. The child’s biological mother has also come out in favour of the pair, saying she wants them to be entrusted with the care of her daughter.
The case has also attracted the attention of US presidential hopeful Hilary Clinton, who tweeted today (November 12) that “being a good parent has nothing to do with sexual orientation – thousands of families prove that.”
Being a good parent has nothing to do with sexual orientation—thousands of families prove that. https://t.co/xQLh25RAYR
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 12, 2015
“We just want our baby who we love, that’s it,” Ms Peirce added.
Watch KUTV’s coverage of the story below:
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