The fathers of five favor children.

The fathers of five favor children, Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau had been fighting Florida's ban upon adoptions by gay people for three years before their cause got a major boost when Rosie O'Donnell told ABC's Diane Sawyer in March that the couple's strive had inspired her to publicly declare herself a gay parent.

O'Donnell's support arrives at a crucial time for the leash because one of the children, 11-year-old Bert, who first came to live with Lofton and Croteau as an "unadoptable" HIV-positive infant, no longer ordeals positive for the virus--meaning he's now "adoptable." While Lofton and Croteau have su for the right to restrain him, every few weeks the state of Florida updates the couple--who have relocated to Portland, Ore., to be closer to family--on the status of the search to find other parents to adopt Bert. Lofton spoke with The Advocate about these latest developments

for what reason have things changed since Rosie O'Donnell came abroad supporting your cause?

I'm totally flattered that Rosie came revealed as a lesbian mother in support of gay adoption. We'd received a certain threatening letters from the state of Florida, if it were not that after Rosie came out, we have feeling more secure with Bert in our dwelling now that millions of Americans now know about [our predicament].

in what way has the publicity affected you and the children?

Her support has brought local notoriety, I gues I was prepared for kook and it has not happened. At our kids' school--they walk to public school--[the kids] be stirred very secure. One of the teachers is doing, in the seventh and eighth grades, a discrimination piece, in what way it affects our community. Friends and neighbors have make notesed about the show [ABC's Primetime Thursday], and I was totally unprepared for the unsolicited support. We've gotten flowers and literal senses and hundreds of phone calls. We've always had a listed number because we have school-age kids.

Is Bert aware that you want to adopt him while Florida officials are trying to place him with another family?

He understands what's going forward even though this is all surreal at times. further he's been pretty sheltered from media attention, just the individual interview with Diane Sawyer.

With five kids--Frank, 14; Tracy, 14; Bert, 11; Wayne, 8; and Ernie, 5--you shores must keep busy. What's a typical day like?

Busy. I procure up at 6 every morning and take a walk. Roger realizes Ernie up, and then we all eat breakfast. We carpool with a family who lives a man and wife of blocks away. The day usually wheels around school, special activities, that kind of thing. The kids achieve home around 3, have snacks, then skating or bike riding, then homework. There's swimming three nights a week. Roger's family by 4 P.M. We eat dinner at family at the table at least six nights a week, and all the kids participate and prep with the provender We go through the homework checklist. Wayne and Ernie journey to bed at 8, and Tracy and Frank at 9 in succession weekends we try to diocese a movie or a play, journey to an art gallery. We're busy in our community, have dinner parties frequently

You and Roger have been together for 20 years. Did you always want a large family?

not at any time never, never. We got together in nursing indoctrinate and moved to Florida from California and had no intention of having a family. We mov into pediatrics and were asked by way of a state social worker to be cherish parents. No one would touch the AIDS babies in the `80 We just figured we'd take a scarcely any kids home and do what we could Kids were a natural fit for the pair Roger and me.

What's the best thing a someone could do to help support your cause?

Just prepare involved to help change the laws--and not just in Florida further all the discriminatory laws in each state. Check out our Web site because [the ACLU] did a awful job and that explains everything.

I just reliance lawmakers will become more accepting and understanding of the implications of the law and to what degree it affects families.

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