New legislation introduced in both the House and Senate was criticized on Monday by national LGBT groups as a means to allow discrimination against same-sex couples seeking to adopt children.
The bill, known as the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2014, was introduced last week by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), who billed the measure as means to prevent faith-based organizations from being excluded from providing adoption and foster care services based on their religious beliefs. …
“It becomes more evident with each advance we make towards equality, that the opposition would rather continue enforcing discrimination than protecting children,” said Family Equality Council Executive Director Gabriel Blau. “The implications of this bill are broad and sweeping and could serve as a barrier to placements not just with LGBT people but also with anyone who is single, has been divorced or who practices a different religion.”
In contrast to the religious freedom bill, the Family Equality Council highlighted the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, legislation sponsored by Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in the House and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in the Senate aimed at ensuring adoption agencies can’t discriminate against LGBT families.