Write your local representatives | Centre Daily Times

It was with sadness and dismay that I read of Don Cistaro’s uninformed and ignorant position on the adoption of a 7-month-old girl (CDT, 1/29).

Sadness because the little girl will not experience life in a world where the quality of her care is primarily determined not by the aptitudes of her parents, but by their gender.

No credible social scientist would deny that the best environment for children to be raised is a stable partnership. I am dismayed that Cistaro, knowing that married couples are the best homes for children, would espouse that the married partners’ genders are of paramount concern, rather than the qualities of their characters.

I have written state Sen. Jake Corman and Rep. Glenn Thompson asking that they sponsor legislation instructing adoption agencies to follow accepted scientific research concerning stable and nurturing households when placing children, rather than fundamentalist religious ideology. I also requested that they sponsor legislation outlawing infringements of body autonomy. This is already illegal in many states but legal in Pennsylvania.

I urge readers to write to their local representatives and request similar legislation. Otherwise, we suffer opinions by citizens that are, in fact, detrimental to the emotional well-being of children.