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In news that will probably make you feel quite sick, Alabama has just made it legal for adoption agencies to refuse to place children with gay parents.
Yes, really.
The decision came on Wednesday, when legislators in Alabama – a majority Republican state in which Trump received over 60% of the vote – made it possible for faith-based adoption groups to refuse placements based on religious beliefs.
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“I ultimately signed House Bill 24 because it ensures hundreds of children can continue to find forever homes through religiously-affiliated adoption agencies. This bill is not about discrimination, but instead protects the ability of religious agencies to place vulnerable children in a permanent home,” Governor Kay Ivey said in a statement.
The bill, which only applies to private agencies and not state or federal funded organisations, attracted majority support in the Alabama legislature.
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Advocacy groups, however, have not been so supportive. Eva Kendrick, the state director of the Human Rights Campaign, expressed deep disappointment, describing the bill as “unnecessary [and] discriminatory.”
…and in even worse news, Alabama is not the only American state to enforce such policies – in fact; South Dakota, North Dakota and Michigan have also passed similar laws.
