Dear Virginia Board of Social Services,

My name is Adam Marquez and I am a proud, registered voter living in Virginia.  All children deserve a loving family who will be a permanent fixture in their lives and who have the ability to protect and foster them into strong, contributing members of our community. Currently, there are more than 1,000 children waiting to be adopted in Virginia and that is not acceptable when suitable gay and lesbian parents are ready and willing to provide the supportive, nurturing enviroment these children desperately need.

Decisions about prospective parents should be based on the best interest of the child, not on discriminatory factors unrelated to good parenting -- period.

When agencies act in the stead of the state, they should be bound by principals of non-discrimination even if they are private agencies.  It needs to be what's best for the children, not what's falsely considered social acceptable or politically expedient for legislators or board members.

Please don't keep children away from having a home of their own, a home full of love and stability.

Sincerely,
Adam Marquez