Did you get a chance this week to contact Governor Rick Scott regarding this critical issue to protect girls in foster care? He is directly and ultimately responsible for whatever rule is produced by his agency. Please contact him now, it will only take a minute, but it could make a huge difference. Thanks, John Stemberger

PS- The DCF phone hearing took place yesterday but it was typically unfair. The first LGBT noticed hearing weeks ago went over a total of 4 hours to accomodate all the callers. This hearing noticed by faith based groups ended “on time” and precluded many from speaking, including myself and other major leaders, who did not get an opportunity to testify–while LGBT leaders just blurted out and spoke out of turn.

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URGENT ACTION ALERT:

Florida Governor Rick Scott’s office is about to oversee a DCF rule change requiring minor girls in foster care group homes to live in rooms with and sleep right alongside of boys who “feel” like they are girls.

Contact Governor Scott immediately and ask him to stop this madness and protect children in foster care by requiring only ACTUAL biological girls to be housed in girls’ group homes.

TAKE ACTION NOW:

1.  Contact Governor Rick Scott and ask him to protect the safety, privacy, and security needs of all of Florida’s children in foster care.

Call: Main Line: 850-717-9337, Select Option 1 to speak to live person; Select Option 2 to leave a message

Email: [email protected] or use the contact form: http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

Write:

The Honorable Rick Scott, Governor of Florida, The Capitol, 400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

2.  Attend the next DCF rule hearing by phone on Thursday, Aug 4 (11am-12:30pm EST) and express your opposition to these changes.

Call-In Information:  Dial 1-888-670-3525   Passcode: 312 614 9586 #

3.  Or Attend the DCF rule hearing in person on this Thursday, Aug 4 (11am-12:30pm EST).

Meeting Location: Florida Department of Children and Families, 1317 Winewood Boulevard, Building 1, Room 301G  Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0700

(Note: Seating may be limited, please plan to arrive early to receive your visitor pass from the front desk and secure your seat)

TALKING POINTS:

Governor Scott appointed the head of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Mike Carroll. Little happens in DCF without the Governor’s office being aware of or having the power to influence decisions.

Governor Scott can and should direct his appointee DCF Secretary Mike Carroll to protect the safety, privacy, and security needs of all of Florida’s children by requiring only girls to be housed in girls’ homes.

Many of the children in Florida’s foster care system come from troubled or abusive homes. Forcing a girl or boy to share a room with a person of the opposite sex, is not only inappropriate, but could also be physically or mentally traumatizing for victims of prior sexual abuse.

The state should be fiercely protecting children and not putting them at risk because of pressure from special interest groups with radical social policies.

The proposed rule change that treats a child’s “gender identity” as the child’s “sex” is deeply disturbing.  Children with gender confusion issues need our help, care and counseling.  We are not helping them by facilitating and promoting their confusion and gender dysphoria.

Group homes can make special arrangements to accommodate children with gender identity confusion issues without infringing on legitimate concerns about privacy and security on the part of the other young people in these homes.

This rule change is very similar to Obama’s recent bathroom mandate for public schools and does not even attempt to achieve this balance.

The rule would also apply to Florida Baptist Children Homes, Catholic Charities and other faith based group homes forcing them to violate their own religious and common sense convictions about separating children of the opposite sexes, thereby forcing them to place children in their care at great risk.

The proposed rule undermines parent’s rights, because there is no room for a parent (or even a foster-care agency) to determine what is in the best interest of a particular child in a specific situation.

This language would require foster care group homes to accommodate and in-practice encourage a child’s perception of their “gender identity.”

This language would also prohibit any ability for a foster-parent or organization to provide a child with help, assistance or counseling related to their “gender identity” even if they requested it.

One child’s confusion, desires or subjective feelings should not outweigh the privacy or safety and security concerns of all other children.

The state should not be experimenting on these kids with an untested and highly-controversial social agenda to appease left-leaning activist groups in the name of “equality.”

BACKGROUND:  PROPOSED FOSTER-CARE RULE CHANGE TO INCLUDE “GENDER IDENTITY”

Earlier this year, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) considered a proposed rule change to treat “gender identity” and “gender expression” the same as a child’s biological “sex.”

Such a change would allow biological boys who identify as girls, to live in the same bedroom as biological girls (and vice versa).

After numerous religious and conservative family organizations in the state shared their concerns about the proposed changes with DCF, the Department removed the language from consideration.

However, in July, after pressure from LGBT groups, DCF with the knowledge of Governor Scott and his office decided to reconsider the language. The proposed rule change being considered at DCF’s next public hearing on Thursday, August 4th can be read HERE.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

We need your help! You have the power to influence our state government to make sound public policy decisions that will help equip our vulnerable foster-care children for life and encourage them to thrive.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for partnering with us on this important issue facing our state. It is important that we continue to unite and make our voices heard on important social issues such as the proper role of government, and the traditional roles of marriage, family structures, and parenting that have served as the foundation of our society for centuries.  Please consider supporting our ongoing efforts now with an online contribution HERE.

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