Virginia moving towards new law allowing discrimination against gay parents
Sat. February 4, 2012 11:26 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Richmond, Va. -
The state of Virginia may soon make it legal for adoption agencies to reject gay and lesbian parents.
The Virginia State House passed a bill on Friday which would allow private adoption agencies to reject parents who don't share the group's religious or political beliefs. The law passed 71 to 28.
Supporters of the bill say it protects religious freedom. The ACLU disagrees.
"It's a license for child welfare agencies to make decisions based on religious beliefs, rather than a child's needs," ACLU attorney Leslie Cooper told the Washington Post.
If the bill makes it to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's desk, he says he will sign it.
The law would make Virginia the second state in the country to legalize discrimination against gay and lesbian parents.
The Virginia State House passed a bill on Friday which would allow private adoption agencies to reject parents who don't share the group's religious or political beliefs. The law passed 71 to 28.
Supporters of the bill say it protects religious freedom. The ACLU disagrees.
"It's a license for child welfare agencies to make decisions based on religious beliefs, rather than a child's needs," ACLU attorney Leslie Cooper told the Washington Post.
If the bill makes it to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's desk, he says he will sign it.
The law would make Virginia the second state in the country to legalize discrimination against gay and lesbian parents.