In 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional and that same-sex couples have the right to get married. You would think this means that these couples have the same rights as heterosexual ones, but this is unfortunately not the case in all 50 states. Several states have passed or proposed legislation which allows religiously affiliated adoption agencies to refuse to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. LGBT advocacy groups argue that these types of bills amount to discrimination.
What States Have Laws Against LGBT Adoptions?
In May, Oklahoma and Kansas became the latest states to pass a bill allowing private adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT couples for religious reasons when placing children. Colorado is currently considering passing similar legislation. The Oklahoma law allows agencies to choose not to place children in certain types of homes if doing so “would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.”
Seven other states have already passed similar legislation:
- Texas
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Michigan
- Alabama
- Mississippi
Other Forms of Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Laws
In related news, the Supreme Court recently ruled that Christian bakers have the right to refuse to make wedding cakes for LGBT couples. This is a similar form of discrimination and the controversial decision has been harshly rebuked by constitutionalists and civil rights groups.
A majority of states also allow discrimination against LGBT couples seeking employment, housing, and public accommodations. Unfortunately, while the Supreme Court same-sex ruling was a major victory in the struggle for LGBT rights, we still need to work to dismantle statewide legislation which allows for legal discrimination of the LGBT community across the country.
These anti-LGBT adoption laws draw outrage, but fortunately, many states have been rejecting similar laws and protecting the rights of their LGBT constituents. Lawmakers throughout the country have derailed several efforts to discriminate against the LGBT community:
- South Dakota and Tennessee lawmakers successfully derailed efforts to restrict bathroom access to transgender youth.
- Indiana lawmakers defeated attempts to prohibit discussions of LGBT issues in Indiana schools.
- Georgia lawmakers struck down legislation to give adoption and foster care agencies the right to discriminate against LGBT parents.
Hopefully these rejections of anti-LGBT laws are a sign of times to come. If voters reject these proposals and make their voices heard at the polls, perhaps these laws can be repealed.
To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:
Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S. Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533
Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200
Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384
Chesapeake, Virginia
1407 Stephanie Way #H
Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
(757) 361-0008
Glastonbury, Connecticut
703 Hebron Ave #1
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 657-2626
Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA
1525 Oregon Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 399-7766
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
451 Woodland Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 665-5655
Wilmington, Delaware
18A Trolley Square
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302) 658-8883
Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S. Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533
Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200
Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384
Chesapeake, Virginia
1407 Stephanie Way #H
Chesapeake, Virginia 23320
(757) 361-0008
Glastonbury, Connecticut
703 Hebron Ave #1
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 657-2626
Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA
1525 Oregon Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 399-7766
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
451 Woodland Ave
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 665-5655
Wilmington, Delaware
18A Trolley Square
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302) 658-8883
