6—The Daily Collegian Friday, Sept. 28, 1990 Gay, lesbian couples face special problems as parents By LAURA E. WEXLER Collegian Staff Writer Mothers and fathers know planning a family is not easy. gut planning a family headed by two partners of the same sex is even harder. For many gay and lesbian parents problems arise from laws prohibiting the legal equivalent of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. "My partner and I had a ceremony of our own and exchanged rings and vows. But our union lacks the legal reality," said Beth, a lesbian mother who requested her last name be omitted. Ironically, Beth said her life as a les bian mother is a reality. "Our lives are no different that any one else's. We have a house, a dog, a cat, a child, and we pay bills,"she said. But gay and lesbian couples are con stantly reminded that their unions are not legally sanctified. Dikaia Upotheke • Dikaia The Brothers of Delta Upsilon would like to welcome their Fall 1990 Pledge Class: Scott Ostrander Jason Pitts Evan Shields Scott Sickierski Peter Van Veldhuisen Doug Villhard Mike Cochran Jim Eddis Brian Enverso Matt Hemming Joe Herron Dan Marshall Dikaia Upotheke • Dikaia Upotheke • Dikaia Upotheke • Dikaia Upotheke • Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in conjunction with Mid State a Banis sw S Mellon Bank A keN star CanmurTh Bankir proudly present... A GOSPEL RAMA 91 featuring The Renowned , 4 , ' ' , Gabriel Hardeman Delegation it ~.) , f '''': , 1 , 0 i o, Stat p e e C nn ol s le t g at e e 's ,s C u h n iz ite ß d ider and Soul Ensemble They must draft special legal docu ments that state partner visitation rights in the event of hospitalization and account for the joint ownership of a home and co-parenting of a child. If a child is conceived through artifi cial insemination or adopted, there are additional concerns because gay and lesbian couples are on shaky legal ground, Beth said. The need for firm legal standing is the most important thing, she said. "You need to be as protected as pos sible that means getting a good law yer," Beth added. Anthony D'Augelli, associate profes sor of health and human development, said homosexual behavior is a felony in 24 states. Though the laws are rarely enforced, the criminalization of homosexuality puts gay and lesbian parents at a dis tinct disadvantage, especially in custo Upotheke • Dikaia Upotheke • Dikaia Upotheke • T.J . Walker A Unique Consulting Firm Hewitt Associates is visiting Penn State Hewitt Associates is an international firm of consultants and actuaries specializing in the design. financing. communication and administration of employee benefit and compensation programs. We are included in the publications The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America and The Best Corn for Women We are interested in students with the Ibllowing majors or other Quantitative Majors We look for people who are adaptable. creative. analytical. and intelligent: people who work well together. Our challenge is to identify and develop those people who can respond to the opportunities of today and tomorrow. Hewitt Associates Rowayton. CT • Boston. MA • Bedminster. NJ Lincolnshire. IL • Santa Ana. CA • Walnut Creek. CA Atlanta. GA • has ( 'oh nas. TX • The Woodlands. TX .1/1 criti)lrnicr m dy battles or adoption proceedings, D'Augelli added. Many gay and lesbian couples would like the chance to get married but are legally unable, he said. Because couples can't get legally married, the courts and the schools tell them they're not a stable traditional family structure, D'Augelli said. Society in general needs to revise its view of the family, he added. "The concept of family has to be expanded in everything law, school and the community. The traditional family is not the only good family," D'Augelli said. D'Augelli said society's conventions exclude certain families and make them feel like less than equal citizens. "Anything that includes a discount for families burial plots, movies, hotels, health clubs should include families headed by two same sex partners," D'Augelli said. Actuarial Science Mathematics "We don't take children away from people who are different. Why do we take them away from gay and lesbian parents?" In a speech given at the University two weeks ago, attorney Rhonda Rivera talked about legal and family issues faced by gay and lesbian people. People often create reasons to prohib it gay people from raising children, Riv era said. These reasons include fear that gay parents will molest their children, that gay parents will have gay children and that children of gay parents will face unreasonable stigmas, Rivera said. Setting the record straight, Rivera, who is a lesbian mother, said: "I have XS2•XS2•XS2•XO•XS2•XS2•XS2•XS2•XS2•XS2•X a X 0 il) Cathy Bobko Elizabeth Cantalamessa Jill Cleary Lee Ann Coen Alexis Cooper Carolyn Gredesky Lori Grumet Michelle Hanau Jennifer lagrossi Kiki Kapell Stacy Kelly Sharon Koch a 0154 X D XS), • X 5 -2 • XS), • XSI • X.Q • XS/ • X 0 • XO., • XS2 • XS), • XS) • XSI • XSI • XS), • XS) • X 0 NOBODY BUT A V PLUS GUARANTEED* LOWEST PRICE 0 YAMAH PIONEEIII47e , BIG SOUND SMALL SIZE Complete systems Including S 4, REMOTE CONTROL and CD PLAYERS from $769 • . " e t, PERFECT FOR DORMS or APARTMENTS SPECIAL PURCHASE NECREm°Ths $169-9‘ "MOVER! 11„, 141001t*, uftivaimek,motdo three kids and they're rampaging heterosexuals. "We don't take children away from people who are different," she said. "Why do we take them away from gay and lesbian parents?" Studies have shown that the numbers of gay and lesbian parents are increas ing. One-third of all lesbian women are mothers and one-fifth of all gay men are fathers, Rivera said. The increase has caused a need for support groups, places where this new and often invisible group in society can The Sisters of Chi Omega Warmly Welcome our Outstanding 1990 Pledge Class: Congratulations! We love you! Love, Your Sisters TEXAS INSTRUMENTS /41 HEWLETT jty, TI 68 BA-35 r PACKARD TI6O BAH PHONE BANKS BA SOLAR SPELLCHECKERS __ - and MORE JEW SPECIAL FRr CASIO FX 700 P RETAIL t 3 995 5100 No AV+ BARGAIN SAMPLER MSRP OUR PRICE $230 5179 260 199 285 219 299 269 399 359 329 299 'PIONEER 40 WATT -PIONEER 60 WATT SANSUI 32 WATT YAMAHA 40 WATT :YAMAHA 50 WATT NAD 25 WATT NAD MONITOR SERIES 549 524 INTEGRATED AMPS from $269 PIONEER PIONEER YAMAHA YAMAHA NAD SONY. 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Lesbian mothers and their children, as well as prospective lesbian mothers, are encouraged to attend the group's monthly meetings. The group offers support for mothers dealing with family, schooling and cus tody issues. attorney More and more lesbian women are looking into means of alternative insem ination in order to have children, Beth said. Currently, most lesbian mothers have had their children through pre vious marraiges or heterosexual relationships. But, the tide is changing, Beth said. 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