Final Vote in Virginia: Same-sex Couples Can't Adopt

projectqueer:

By Lucas Grindley

Virginia took the last step on Wednesday in blocking an effort to let same-sex couples adopt children in the state.

The Board of Social Services approved regulations governing adoptions in the state on a 5-1 vote, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The originally proposed anti-discrimination policy included sexual orientation. But when Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell took office he backed a pared down version of the policy, which starts in May.

Agencies will now effectively be permitted to discriminate against prospective foster or adoptive parents based on sexual orientation, age, gender, disability, religion, political belief, and family status, according to the Times-Dispatch.

Only race, color, or national origin are included in the rules.

The state already bars same-sex couples (but not gay individuals) from adopting. Equality advocates have tried to change that policy. A spokesman for Gov. Bob McDonnell said in April that “the existing adoption regulations are effective and fair.”

Gay rights group Equality Virginia and the American Civil Liberties Union argued unsuccessfully that expanding anti-discrimination protections would have increased the pool of prospective parents and led to more children being placed in good homes. But faith-based agencies said the new policy would have forced them to place children with gay couples, which they claim violates their religious beliefs.

The Family Equality Council notes that more than 6,000 children are in the Virginia foster care system and more than 1,500 children are waiting for adoption.

1. drschuchman reblogged this from darkpixie10
2. aidensimon liked this
3. androgenius liked this
4. foundinthedark reblogged this from justasecondoutofsync
5. orgasmsinchurch reblogged this from thanksitsprada and added:

   thats great, good to know we aren’t making any progress as a country

6. thehau5ofupsidedown reblogged this from projectqueer
7. thanksitsprada reblogged this from blaazedandconfused-
8. jennatumbls reblogged this from blaazedandconfused-
9. itrytobemybest reblogged this from projectqueer
10. blaazedandconfused- reblogged this from lovetarian and added:

    FUCK YO COUCH. Fuck this country, I need to get the fuck out before I go ape shit on some mothafuckas

11. lovetarian reblogged this from inthelandoflesbianism and added:

    It’s cute how people still consider America a “free country”

12. justasecondoutofsync reblogged this from sanityscraps
13. littleblackkittycat liked this
14. vag-enius liked this
15. john-a-zoidberg reblogged this from sexgenderbody
16. le-claire-de-lune reblogged this from projectqueer and added:

    Well, this is super fucked up.

17. loveexistsincracksofyoursociety reblogged this from projectqueer
18. urigsa reblogged this from projectqueer
19. allysaurus92 reblogged this from sanityscraps and added:

    Wonderful. So proud to live in Virginia right now. Really. /sarcasm

20. theclouds-willdriftaway liked this
21. dancing-with-diversity reblogged this from sexgenderbody
22. livingaquietqueerlife reblogged this from wethedreamers-chaseforever
23. peterpangal365 reblogged this from projectqueer
24. holmesiswheretheheartis liked this
25. lgbtqalove reblogged this from projectqueer
26. ladyhippie reblogged this from projectqueer and added:

    OH FUCK VIRGINIA. I don’t even have words. Just screams of rage.

27. skinofsunset reblogged this from projectqueer
28. sanityscraps reblogged this from sexgenderbody
29. sexgenderbody reblogged this from projectqueer
30. aimsme reblogged this from projectqueer
31. darkpixie10 reblogged this from projectqueer
32. suspicious-sunflowers reblogged this from projectqueer and added:

    fuck this state.

33. inthelandoflesbianism reblogged this from projectqueer
34. jaison96 reblogged this from projectqueer
35. wethedreamers-chaseforever reblogged this from projectqueer
36. ohmygay reblogged this from projectqueer
37. projectqueer posted this