On March 4, the ACLU of Utah will screen the short documentary “Freedom to Parent: Lesbian and Gay Families,” a highly personal exploration of the rights of lesbian and gay individuals to parent, produced by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Kenneth Choe, Senior Staff Attorney with the ACLU’s National Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & AIDS Project, will introduce and lead a discussion about the film. Mr. Choe is currently working on the case of a Georgia woman, who has been caring for a seven-year old girl at the request of the child’s biological mother. A judge denied her adoption request, and had the child removed from her home, when he learned that the woman was a lesbian. Learn more about this case, as well as other cases that involve the rights of gays and lesbians to parent, at www.aclu.org/lgbt/parenting/index.html.

The film screening and public discussion with Mr. Choe will be held at the Main Salt Lake Public Library (210 E. 400 S), in the fourth floor conference room. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

We will also be joined by Mr. Will Carlson, Manager of Public Policy for Equality Utah. Equality Utah, a grassroots, statewide political advocacy organization working on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, has taken a leading role in advancing House Bill 318 - Adoption Amendments (sponsored by Representative Chavez-Houck). This Bill is among the ACLU of Utah's legislative priorities for 2008, as well.

Under current law, Utahns who are unmarried and cohabitate (live together in a romantic relationship) cannot foster, adopt, or share parenting duties with their partners. This effectively bans gay and lesbian couples - even relatives of the children who are to be adopted or fostered - from performing this critical familial and social service. Through such efforts like HB 318, as well as grassroots action, Equality Utah and other LGBT groups are hard at work to change this destructive restriction.

Promotional stickers and educational materials - including copies of the recently released second edition of the ACLU publication "Too High A Price: The Case Against Restricting Gay Parenting" - will be available, free of charge, to those who are interested.

For more information about this event, please contact Anna Brower at abrower@acluutah.org or (801) 521-9862, ext. 100.

Download and print a flier about this screening and dialogue - copy and share with your friends, family and colleagues!