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The Tennessee Senate Just Passed Legislation Allowing Adoption Agencies to Deny Gay Couples

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In its first bill of the year, the Tennessee State Senate just passed legislation allowing adoption agencies to deny gay couples today.

Christina Wilson Remlin, Lead Counsel at national children’s welfare organization Children’s Rights lamented, “Along with many visionary and hardworking leaders within Tennessee’s child welfare system Children’s Rights worked to improve policies, programs and outcomes for children in foster care. We vehemently oppose any move that would limit the number of safe and loving homes available to children who need and deserve them. We ask the advocacy and business communities and all others who have spoken out against SB 1304 in the past to renew their calls for equality and urge Governor Bill Lee to reject a bill that is bad public policy and harmful to innocent kids.”

According to The Tennessean, “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 so would “violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.”

It also prohibits the state from denying an agency’s license or grant application for public funds because of the group’s refusal to place a child with a family based on religious objections. The adoption agency would also be protected from lawsuits for such a refusal.

 

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