Tag Archives: gay adoption

From the National Center for Lesbian Rights: “Properly understood, today’s decision is a significant victory for LGBTQ people,” said Shannon Minter, NCLR Legal Director. “The Court ruled in favor of Catholic Social Services, but on the narrowest possible ground, based on language in the City of Philadelphia’s contract that authorized individualized exemptions for any provider. “The Court did not change …

The Huffington Post reports: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of faith-based foster agency Catholic Social Services in a case that has significant implications for LGBTQ foster parents as well as taxpayer-funded groups’ ability to discriminate against queer people or other faiths based on “religious freedom.” The case centers around two local foster agencies that the city of Philadelphia found …

Michael Brown writes for Charisma News: To the leadership of Bethany Christian Services, I make this heartfelt appeal as a fellow disciple of Jesus who also cares about the wellbeing of needy children. Please reconsider your decision to provide services for gay and lesbian couples wanting to adopt. Please ask yourselves again: Is this decision truly honoring to the Lord …

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 …

NBC News reports: Amy Coney Barrett has been fueling the fears of LGBTQ advocacy groups since President Donald Trump first nominated her to the federal bench in 2017. Now, with Barrett officially confirmed as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, advocates worry that she and the court’s five other conservatives could start stripping away gay rights imminently. The most …

The Christian Post reports: An appeals court has revived a Christian adoption agency’s lawsuit against officials in New York state who are seeking to force the charity to place children with unmarried and same-sex couples instead of referring them to other providers. New Hope Family Services filed a lawsuit against state officials after it was told that its policy of …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: In the latest example of the Trump administration seeking to enable legal discrimination against LGBTQ people, the Justice Department is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to allow religious-affiliated adoption agencies to refuse child placement into LGBTQ homes. In a 35-page brief, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco and other Justice Department attorneys maintain …

The Tennessean reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a controversial measure Friday that would let religious adoption agencies deny service to same-sex couples. The move comes after several groups, including the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, urged Lee not to sign the legislation. The law allows adoption agencies to refuse to participate in a child placement if …

The Tennessean reports: The Tennessee state Senate started the 2020 legislative session passing its first bill of the year: a controversial measure that protects religious adoption agencies if they choose to discriminate against same-sex couples. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington, declares that no licensed adoption agency would be required to participate in a child placement if doing …

The Detroit Free Press reports: A federal judge says Michigan cannot stop faith-based adoption agencies that have state contracts from refusing to put children in LGBT homes for religious reasons. District Judge Robert Jonker issued a preliminary injunction Thursday. He says Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel’s [photo] position targets the religious beliefs of St. Vincent Catholic Charities, and such agencies …

Axios reports: The Trump administration will soon make it easier for adoption agencies to reject same-sex couples, senior administration officials told Axios. President Trump is steadily rolling back Obama-era nondiscrimination policies across the entire federal government — including health care, housing and the military. Details: Former President Obama banned adoption and foster-care agencies from receiving federal funding if they refused …

The Associated Press reports: Tennessee lawmakers on Tuesday spiked a proposal that would have allowed faith-based adoption agencies to refuse to place children with gay parents and other families because of their religious beliefs. The bill had been scheduled to be debated by the GOP-dominant Senate. However, at the last minute, the sponsor [Rep. Tim Rudd] quietly asked for the …

The Tennessean reports: IKEA, Lyft, Hilton and Warby Parker and several other businesses operating in Tennessee are speaking out against legislation affecting LGBT individuals, arguing the proposed bills will make employee recruitment more difficult and harm the state’s business climate. These companies, which sent a signed letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Glen Casada, join a growing …

NBC News reports: A major faith-based foster care and adoption contractor for the state of Michigan said Monday it will place children in LGBTQ homes, reversing course following a recent legal settlement. Grand Rapids-based Bethany Christian Services is responsible for about 8 percent of Michigan’s more than 13,000 foster care and adoption cases involving children from troubled households. “We are …

The Associated Press reports: Tennessee lawmakers are working to become the latest state to ensure faith-based adoption agencies can refuse to place children with gay parents and other families because of their religious beliefs without facing any penalties. The GOP-dominant House overwhelmingly voted 67-22 in support of the proposal after a brief but tense debate. The bill must now pass …

The Detroit Free Press reports: Michigan will no longer financially support adoption and foster care agencies that refuse to work with same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals because of religious beliefs under the terms of a settlement of a lawsuit negotiated by Attorney General Dana Nessel. The settlement, which was announced Friday, sets up a battle with the Republican-led Legislature, which …

Nashville’s CBS affiliate reports: Tennessee legislators have introduced two new bills, both centered on adoption. One of the bills, HB0836 filed by Rep. Tim Rudd, states that it “prohibits a private licensed child-placing agency from being required to perform, assist, consent to, refer, or participate in any child placement that would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions.” It …

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: In an exchange with high school students that was caught on tape, a Republican congressman from New Jersey was tongue-tied over the prospect of same-sex couples adopting children and suggested kids would be better off in orphanages than with LGBT families. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) made the remarks May 29 when addressing student …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Thursday to force the city of Philadelphia to resume the placement of children in need of foster care with a Catholic agency that refuses to accept gay couples as foster parents. In a decision that Catholic Social Services had said would force its foster care program to close, the justices refused the …

Metro Weekly reports: The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has attached an amendment to a government funding bill that allows child welfare agencies to discriminate against prospective parents, including same-sex couples, based on the agency’s religious beliefs. The amendment, introduced by U.S> Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), was added to a funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, …