This about Jeff and Gonzalo, two professional men in a long term committed relationship who are raising three boys, ages ranging from about 8 or 9 to around 11. Which boys they adopted from the foster care system a bit mote than a year ago. As with any adoption from our glorious foster care system, the adjustment has not been easy. The boys are a handful and Jeff and Gonzalo are conscientious and hard working parents. I know. I work with Jeff.

One of the arguments for California Proposition 8 - the let's put homophobia in our state constitution initiative - is that marriage is to produce children and gay people do not produce children.

Leaving aside lesbians and artificial insemination for the moment, Wonks Anonymous would like to point out that many gay men have taken it on themselves to raise the children produced by married and unmarried heterosexuals who - for whatever reason - have been incapable of doing it themselves. these men and their children deserve all the social protection and recognition that marriage confers.

For god's sake, we need to encourage anyone who is willing to take on the huge task of rearing a child to do so. Instead of doing this the family values folks are trying to stop adoption by gays in Arkansas - I don't know if this one passed - and the Catholic Church has gotten out of the adoption business in California rather than place children with gay parents. An orphanage or foster care seems to be better in their narrow minds than a loving gay family.

There are lots more reasons why gays should be able to marry, even if they don't raise children. There is, however, something seriously wrong with people who claim to support adoption and families and even claim to "love" gay people but who then turn around and try to prevent these same gay people from entering into loving, committed relationships and adopting children.

What would Jesus do folks?

For information on gay people and their families and stories see Let California Ring. The Lambda Legal Defense Fund is organizing the legal battle against this one but Wonks Anonymous would like to emphasize that we need to win over the hearts and minds of some who voted against gay marriage. Maybe if we all shared the stories of the people we know?