Tag Archives: adoption

The New York Times reports: One of the country’s largest adoption and foster care agencies, Bethany Christian Services, announced Monday that it will begin providing services to L.G.B.T.Q. parents nationwide effective immediately, a major inflection point in the fraught battle over many faith-based agencies’ longstanding opposition to working with same-sex couples. The Michigan-based evangelical organization announced the change in an …

Reuters reports: The Texas governor signed a law on Thursday to protect the religious rights of faith-based groups in state child welfare programs, but critics said it could be used to discriminate against LGBT and non-Christian families in adoptions. Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3859 which allows faith-based groups working with the Texas child welfare system to deny …

The Indian charity founded by Mother Teresa has ended its adoption services rather than comply with new rules which allow single and divorced parents to adopt. A spokesman for the charity told the press, “What if the single parent who we give our baby [to] turns out to be gay or lesbian? What security or moral upbringing will these children …

Via TIME Magazine: During an Olympics already mired in controversy over “gay propaganda” laws, Russia passed a statute Thursday forbidding single people (gay or straight) who live in any country where gay marriage is legal from adopting Russian children. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the measure as an amendment to the law passed last July forbidding all same-sex couples …

“It turns out that Italy is currently the only country whose citizens are able to adopt Russian children because, first of all, this country refused to recognise same-sex marriage, which, for its part, does not require Russia to change the existing agreement, and, secondly, (the Italians) abide by the terms of this treaty. That is all. It is not our …

“The perverts? No, it is unacceptable. Homosexuals are ‘perverts’ and should absolutely not be allowed to adopt children. Children who grow up in that kind of environment are destroyed psychologically.” – Russian MP Vitaly Milonov, speaking to Swedish television after Russia suspended adoptions to Sweden because of the legality of same-sex marriage there. The Local has more: “It’s terrible. We …

The BBC reports: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has issued an apology to people affected by Australia’s forced adoption policy between the 1950s and 1970s. Tens of thousands of babies of unmarried, mostly teenage mothers, were thought to have been taken by the state and given to childless married couples. Speaking in front of hundreds of the victims, Ms Gillard said …

From the Leffew family in Northern California.

On Wednesday the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on a proposed civil unions bill. Senate Bill 11 would “authorize any 2 unmarried adults, regardless of gender, to enter into a civil union.” Last year, the Colorado House failed to vote on a civil union bill before the end of a special session of the legislature. This legislative session, …

You might recall that whackadoodle Del. Bob Marshall also wants Virginia to issue its own currency, to ban gays from the National Guard, and to make it a felony to fly the rainbow flag. Marshall also says that God punishes women who have abortions by giving their later children birth defects.

An excerpt: The decision to adopt a child has brought profound joy and meaning into the lives of Americans across our country. Parents are moved to adopt for reasons as unique and varied as the children they embrace, but they are unified by the remarkable grace of their acts. Adoptive families come in all forms. With so many children waiting …

The Concerned Women are going after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who last week introduced a federal bill granting gay adoption rights in all states. “Something around 65,000 adopted children and 14,000 foster children live in homes that are headed by non-heterosexuals, and yet the data very overwhelmingly says these homes are not as good for children,” [Janet] Crouse notes. “They don’t …

An Illinois GOP state senator has filed a bill that would grant a religious exemption to the state’s Civil Union Act. Via the Christian Post: State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) introduced a bill to amend the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act to give faith-based agencies such as Catholic Charities the right to decline an adoption or a …

An Illinois judge has temporarily reinstated Catholic Charities as a state-funded adoption agency. This move comes one day after Illinois announced it was severing Catholic Charities’ contract because it was apparent that the group would not abide by the new civil unions law. Judge John Schmidt said the abrupt termination of the contracts could affect foster kids’ well-being despite the …

The state of Illinois has severed its relationship with Catholic Charities, ending all involvement and financial support for its adoption and foster programs. Though four Catholic Charities agencies had already stopped licensing new foster parents, three of them will seek an injunction from a Sangamon County judge on Tuesday to continue serving families and abiding by Catholic principles that prohibit …

“The so-called Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act has already done more harm to religious freedom than good. The Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford has announced that it will close its doors on the church’s adoption program before subjecting children to placement in homosexual homes. Like it did in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church refused to violate …