PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Tell Rep. Forbes Not to Exclude Children with Same-Sex Parents
  1. Signatures
    309 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. House of Representatives (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
      • Rep. J. Randy Forbes (VA-04)
  2. Created By
    Dana Rudolph
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The U.S. State Department recently announced it would be changing the passport application form to say “Mother or Parent 1″ and “Father or Parent 2” -- an attempt to be more inclusive of all family structures.

In response, Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) has called the change "a bureaucratic attempt to redefine traditional parent roles," and has filed a bill that would require all federal agencies, contractors, and government-sponsored enterprises to "use the words 'mother' and 'father' when describing parents, and not the words 'parent 1' or 'parent 2' (or other similar words), in all official documents."

Several hundred thousand children are being raised by same-sex parents across the country, over 6,500 of them in Rep. Forbes' state of Virginia, according to the Williams Institute of UCLA.

Forbes' proposal is an attempt to exclude, in the face of a simple, inclusive solution.

Please sign the petition urging him to pull the bill.

Photo credit: Robert Rexach, Wikimedia Commons

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Pull the Parental Title Protection Act, H.R. 635

Greetings,

I am writing to ask that you pull H.R. 635, the Parental Title Protection Act.

Several hundred thousand children are being raised by same-sex parents across the country, over 6,500 in your state of Virginia, according to the Williams Institute of UCLA. The use of “Mother or Parent 1″ and “Father or Parent 2” on government forms, such as passport applications, recognizes the reality of their families and excludes no one. The wording in no way disparages families that include a mother and a father.

By prohibiting the use of "Parent 1" and "Parent 2," however, you would cause confusion and delay when same-sex parents try to complete these forms for their children or when the children grow up and try to complete them for themselves. This could create extra government work and expense if officials need to look up regulations or make phone calls to determine what to do in these cases.

I urge you to pull the bill and champion inclusivity for all Americans.

[Your name]

Press Inquiries