Video from ACLU shows the effects of banning lesbian and gay parenting in Arkansas.

The ACLU recently released a video production called “Freedom to Parent”.

The two-part video series follows two families as they fight for their right to remain together - to receive equal treatment under the law. Child welfare experts show support for the families and detail the horrific effects of anti-gay laws. The piece describes decades of research on the suitability of lesbians and gays as parents.

This 1:35 minute clip follows the Arkansas bill aimed at preventing gay people from fostering or adopting children - and goes behind the scenes to introduce viewers to individuals whose lives would be directly affected.

Devon Bearden, a 15-year-old honors student, lives with her grandmother, Randi Romo, because her mother is very ill. The ban would prevent Romo, a lesbian, from adopting Devon if Devon’s mother died, even though the girl has flourished under her grandmother’s care. They decide to speak out against the discriminatory bill, which not only threatens to tear their family apart but also would exclude an entire pool of prospective parents from caring for the state’s most vulnerable children.