Baby taken away from Brazilian gay couple

saratiddyFri 11/01/08 17:18

A government official who successfully fought to take an adopted baby away from a gay couple in Brazil has said that "gay couples are abnormal."

On Monday 70 people gathered in San Jose do Rio Preto, a small town outside of Sao Paulo, to protest against the baby being removed from the care of a 30-year-old transsexual hairdresser, Roberta Góes Luiz, and her partner.

"I've been through three psychological evaluations successfully. I have my own home, I've been with my partner for six years and I have a job," Roberta told O Globo .

"But for others that isn't 'normal' and I'm not capable of taking care of a baby.

"That's prejudice, there is no other explanation. But I'm not going to give up. I want my son back."

In an interview with the Diario de S.Paulo newspaper, the official, Cláudio Santos de Moraes, said he was not being homophobic when he fought for the couple to lose custody of the baby.

According to him, if a situation is 'unusual', then it is 'abnormal'.

"I'm not discriminating," he said.

"I simply understand that this child has the right to a conventional family, with a mother that is a woman and a father that is a man. I don't think it is correct to give custody to that transsexual man."

The baby had been under Roberta's care for 8 months.

However Moraes said he didn't want to feel "guilty" if the child didn't like his parents in the future.

"If it's an abnormal situation then I don't see why we would take the risk. The child cannot be a scientific experiment to see if things turn out well," he said.

"If that child has the chance to live with a normal family, why should we put it in a situation that might bring it future consequences?"

Article: www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-6542.html

#210865Fri 11/01/08 17:25

can you PLEASE stop posting stories from PinkNews.

If I wanted to know all about these stories I'd have logged onto the website and read it for myself.

Not averse to the odd link, but three in a row???

malhen27Fri 11/01/08 17:30

Often pink news carries interesting stories, therefore well worth pointing them out here for discussion.

chutzpahFri 11/01/08 17:33

quoting > "can you PLEASE stop posting stories from PinkNews."

Oh stop moaning. Some of us like the postings, since they invariably generate an interesting discussion afterwards. If you're that fed up with them, block yourself from seeing threads quickfind:saratiddy starts. It's your problem - you deal with it.

#210865Fri 11/01/08 17:36

I won't stop moaning.

I have nothing against saratiddy posting threads and you're right, they can generate discussion.

And if it was just the Brazil thread I think it would have been a very interesting debate, but it was three in a row and I think it was too much.

Yup, it is my problem and this is how I'm dealing with it - by asking for them to not be put in a row like they have been!

chutzpahFri 11/01/08 17:41

Brazil is an 'interesting' country for gay rights. A country with what appears to be a quite liberal leaning establishment (lots of states have sanctioned civil partnerships, some states prohibited the discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation as early as 1989) compared with an established religion opposed to further progress for gay rights, and many incidents of homophobic murders. It's a country of two extremes. I suppose in such a climate, there's always a risk that the judge or official you end up with isn't going to be on your end of the spectrum. It's always difficult where the elite lead on moral principles, and the rest of the establishment gets dragged behind, resulting in the will of the Government taking a long time to filter down.

chutzpahFri 11/01/08 17:42

quoting > "I won't stop moaning.

I have nothing against saratiddy posting threads and you're right, they can generate discussion.

And if it was just the Brazil thread I think it would have been a very interesting debate, but it was three in a row and I think it was too much.

Yup, it is my problem and this is how I'm dealing with it - by asking for them to not be put in a row like they have been!"

And who are you to complain about what other people post? Why not take it to the moderator, so they can point out there's absolutely nothing to say that this is an inappropriate use of the boards?

bencatFri 11/01/08 17:52

quoting > "Yup, it is my problem and this is how I'm dealing with it - by asking for them to not be put in a row like they have been!"

Have to be honest here ...... if you don't like it click ignore. It might not always be something that interests me but I certainly wouldn't want to prevent people posting (incidentally I actually think its a very interesting story)

Click ignore and move on to something you like.

tavdyFri 11/01/08 20:35

quoting > "It's always difficult where the elite lead on moral principles, and the rest of the establishment gets dragged behind, resulting in the will of the Government taking a long time to filter down."

South Africa is similar in many ways - the first African country, and only non-first-world country, to legalise gay marriage, yet their HIV treatment program is abysmal!

chutzpahSat 12/01/08 11:30

quoting > "South Africa is similar in many ways - the first African country, and only non-first-world country, to legalise gay marriage, yet their HIV treatment program is abysmal!"

And like Jamaica, has a huge problem with gang culture - although I don't believe homophobia is as embedded in South African society as it is in Jamaica.