Every once in a while news comes along that has the ability to jump off the page and smack you in the face. Thumbing through the newspaper this week, there seem to be several stories having that capacity. Granted “bad news” is actually the norm, however this week in news made us here at the Gay & Lesbian Times especially irritated.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal by four men who unsuccessfully challenged Florida’s ban on adoption by gay couples. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush commented in support of the decision stating foster children, often products of troubled and unstable backgrounds, should have both a father and mother.

If my memory serves me correctly, didn’t Jeb’s daughter, Noelle, wind up in rehab charged with prescription fraud, and was later thrown in the hoosgow after being accused of being in possession of crack cocaine?

In case you missed the story, back in 2002, Noelle Bush was arrested at a Walgreens drugstore and charged with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. Later, while in rehab, Noelle got busted for having a crack rock in her shoe landing her 10 days in prison.

Does Noelle’s actions accurately determine the type of parents the Bush’s are? No, of course not. Even perfect parents can’t always control the actions of their children. I just wouldn’t point any fingers if I were Jeb.

Supporting Jeb Bush’s statement, Florida’s attorney, Casey Walker stated, “It is rational to believe that children need male and female influence to develop optimally, particularly in the areas of sexual and gender identity, and heterosexual role-modeling.”

Did we forget that nearly half of American households do not contain both a mother and father? Not only does this statement insult the gay and lesbian community, but it undercuts the ability of single parents to raise healthy, well-adjusted children. Florida would not legislate against single, straight men and women from adopting.

With such a bold statement should come some sort of empirical data or evidence demonstrating how same-sex couples are unfit to be parents, right? So help me God, there better be more than religious rhetoric to back it up.

The same day the Supreme Court ruled against same-sex adoption, the Pope made several statements outlining the challenges he sees towards humanity – emphasizing same-sex marriage’s attack on “the very sanctuary of life: the family …”

While this is typical for the Pope, within the same statement he implores for the renewal of religious freedom in the world. Religious freedom? So, in one instance he mentions the value of freedom of “religion” but then condemns the gay community for having different beliefs than the Catholic Church. It’s as if he doesn’t even try to couch his hypocrisy.

The pontiff later relents over the tragedy of natural disasters affecting the world such as the recent tsunami, and cites dramatic statistics showing hundreds of millions of people throughout the world who suffer from malnutrition and millions of children that die each year from the effects of hunger.

Isn’t the Vatican one of the wealthiest institutions in the world? I don’t think Jesus would hoard his billions in a time of incalculable tragedy. Maybe it’s time for the Pope to fork over some cash to help those in need.

Not to be anti-Religion, one news story did show positively on at least part of the religious community. A group of parents at St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa insisted that two boys, who are enrolled in kindergarten, be expelled because their parents are two gay men. The group demanded last month that the school accept only families that pledge to abide by Catholic teachings – which would bar the men’s two adopted boys from attending the school’s kindergarten because of church opposition to same-sex relationships and adoption by same-sex couples.

But the school’s overseer, Rev. Martin Benzoni, who said he will accept the children to the school, told the LA Times, that he firmly believes that the policy is in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Hallelujah! Finally a religious leader making some sense. If we were to populate the school based on whether or not the families follow Catholic doctrine: no one would be left to attend classes. After the divorced, remarried, single and cohabitating parents – all we would have left are the few married couples that most likely use methods of birth control, masturbate or break the several hundred other moral codes prescribed by the Catholic faith.