Outrage in Florida

Andrea Harris links to an article about an appalling new law here in Florida:

South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Women who put babies up for adoption required to publish sexual pasts

What is the rationale for such a disgusting law? From the article:

The law is a part of revised Florida adoption requirements enacted last year that require a birth mother to make an exhaustive effort to locate the birth father to notify him about adoption proceedings.

When background searches don’t work, a birth mother must place legal notices about the adoption in a local newspaper where the baby was conceived.

In the newspaper notice, the mother must list her name, describe herself, name or describe the possible father(s) and list the date and the city or county of conception.

The legislator who spearheaded the overhaul of the state’s adoption laws said they were designed to make adoptions better, easier and quicker.

To that last sentence, all I can say is that they have failed miserably. Again from the article:

“The adoption community is up in arms against this [law],” said Boca Raton attorney Charlotte Danciu, who represents the six women. “When women come into my office and find their whole lives have to be exposed in the newspaper, they are like, ‘Forget it.’ They can abort without consent, but they can’t give the child an opportunity to live without humiliating themselves.”

This is just stupid, sad and wrong. This is going to cause many more abortions and a lot less adoptions.

Andrea Harris has some excellent commentary on this law and adoption in general.