LONG BEACH : Council Adopts Broad Definition of a Family
The Long Beach City Council has adopted a wide-ranging policy that recognizes virtually any group of people living together as a family.
The “statement on family,” approved Tuesday on a 6-3 vote, makes no immediate changes. But it could open the way for unmarried couples, including gay and lesbian partners, to receive benefits usually reserved for traditional families.
About 50 people urged the council to stick by the U.S. Census definition of a family: a household with two or more people related by blood, marriage or adoption.
Several speakers invoked the Bible to support their argument that homosexual couples should not be recognized as legitimate families. The remainder urged the council to recognize non-traditional households.
The statement approved by the council does not define a family in terms of blood or legal relationships. Instead, it identifies family functions--such as providing physical and emotional support.
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