To whom it may concern:

I am a voter living in Fairfax County, Virginia.  I have lived in Virginia for seven years.

I strongly support the approval of regulations prohibiting adoption agencies from discriminating against prospective adoptive parents based on gender, age, religion, political beliefs, disability, and--emphatically--sexual orientation and family status.

I believe that all children deserve a loving family.  I understand that there are currently more than 1,000 children waiting to be adopted in Virginia, and my heart goes out to them.

I believe that decisions about prospective parents should be based on the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD.  They should NOT be based on discriminatory factors unrelated to good parenting. 

Furthermore I believe that when agencies act in the stead of the state, they should be bound by principals of non-discrimination, even if they are private agencies.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of my comment.