Gay Democrats, Republicans Condemn Justice Roy Moore
Joint News Release
Log Cabin Republicans & National Stonewall Democrats
For Immediate Release
February 26, 2002
Contact (LCR):
Kevin Ivers, LCR
(202) 347-5306 x112
kivers@lcr.org
Contact (NSD):
John Marble, NSD
(202) 625-1382
Jmjr20@aol.com
National Stonewall Democrats, Log Cabin Republicans Call for Resignation,
Legislative Reform
(WASHINGTON) The nation’s leading gay and lesbian partisan political
organizations united today to condemn the recent legal opinion by Alabama
Chief Justice Roy Moore in a state custody case, where Moore called
homosexuality a "detestable and an abominable sin...a crime in Alabama, a
crime against nature, an inherent evil," and ordered three teenaged
children to be kept in abusive custody of the biological father instead of the
children’s mother, solely because she is a lesbian.
The following is a joint statement by Chad Johnson, NSD Executive Director,
and Rich Tafel, LCR Executive Director:
"We join across partisan lines to strongly condemn the opinion
rendered by Chief Justice Roy Moore on February 15, 2002 regarding the case of
Sharon Huber. The legal effect of the opinion puts three children in
considerable physical and emotional danger and places them in the home of an
abusive father, purely because their mother is a lesbian.
Furthermore, the opinion of Justice Moore is so virulent in its anti-gay
bigotry, so far outside the bounds of ethical canons, and so dismissive of the
rights and welfare of the three children in question, that Moore has shown
himself unfit to be the Chief Justice of the state’s highest court and
should resign.
We join with the majority of Americans who believe that the physical,
mental and emotional well-being of children should always be paramount in
matters of custody, adoption and anything involving family life."
Despite the fact that the father in the case admitted to physically abusing
his children, Moore defended the father’s suitability while writing that
"the homosexual conduct of a parentŠcreates a strong presumption of
unfitness that alone is sufficient justification for denying that parent
custody of his or her own children or prohibiting the adoption of the children
of others."
Moore also cited Biblical passages and what he called "fixed
principles" in proclaiming that homosexuality "violates both natural
and revealed law." The Canons of Judicial Ethics insist that judges must
issue opinions "impartially and diligently" and that "personal
bias or prejudice concerning a party" disqualifies a judge from service.
Despite his extra-legal citations, Moore claims statutory support based on
antiquated laws which criminalize "deviant sexual behavior." NSD and
LCR call on the Alabama state legislature and Governor Don Siegelman to
strongly support necessary reforms and clarification of such laws that allow
judges to rule that homosexuality is a crime, and serve as an automatic
barrier to consideration as a fit parent."
Log Cabin Republicans is the nation’s largest gay Republican
organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time national
office in Washington, D.C., and a federal political action committee.
The National Stonewall Democrats is the national organization of gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender Democrats. NSD is committed to improving the
record of the Democratic Party and educating lgbt communities about political
and partisan issues of importance.
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