The Virginia House just passed a "conscience clause" measure that would allow private state-funded, faith-based adoption agencies to reject parents based on religion or sexual orientation.
Supporters of the bill claim it would protect religious freedom by allowing birth and adoptive parents to adhere to their religious beliefs, but the ACLU and others see it as "anti-gay legislation that perpetuates discrimination." Democrat David Englin says it's clear the bill is about excluding same-sex couples from adopting.
Adoption should be based on parent/s ability to provide loving and otherwise appropriate care for a child. With only about a third of Virginia's over 4,000 children with prospects for adoption, the state should not be rejecting anyone willing to provide this kind of care. Plus, the proposed measure is a violation of human rights and should be deemed illegal.
Tell the Virginia Senate and governor to reject this discriminatory legislation!
We, the undersigned, request that you reject the bill referred to as the "conscience clause" that would allow private adoption agencies to disqualify prospective parents based on sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
If this bill is passed, Virginia, shamefully, would be only the second in the country to discriminate in this way.
In the past, Virginia set an admirable example as the first state to apologize for the nation's eugenics program, however, now the progressive attitude that initiated that action seems to have disappeared.
Though posing as legislation meant to protect religious freedom, it is clear to many that the "Conscience Clause" legislation, in reality, will serve to restrict and violate human rights and freedoms.
Thank you for your serious and urgent attention to this request.
