Kansas Governor Signs Anti-LGBT Adoption Bill Into Law

The measure allows faith-based agencies, even those using taxpayer funds, to turn away prospective parents who offend their religious beliefs.

www.advocate.com/politics/2018/5/18/kansas-governor-signs-anti-lgbt-adoption-bill-law

DISCRIMINATION IN KANSAS: Kansas Governor Signs Anti-LGBTQ Bill

Today, HRC blasted Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer for signing a patently discriminatory bill, SB 284, which is a license to discriminate with taxpayer funds against prospective LGBTQ foster or adoptive parents, single parents, or other qualified families. Kansas and Oklahoma are the only two states this year to allow anti-LGBTQ legislation to become law. 

SB 284 will have a sweeping, harmful impact in child welfare services by enabling discrimination against LGBTQ people, same-sex couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other qualified parents to whom an agency has an objection. The biggest barrier to placing children with families is a lack of qualified prospective parents; having the state give contractors and subcontractors a license to discriminate, thereby limiting the pool of prospective parents for no legitimate reason, is unconscionable and an unacceptable use of taxpayer dollars.

“Kansas now joins Oklahoma as the only states to allow anti-LGBTQ state bills to become law this year,” said JoDee Winterhof, senior vice president of policy and political affairs. “Kansas lawmakers, from the legislature to the governor, are clearly stating that it is more important to them to discriminate against their own constituents than it is to find loving homes for children in need. Make no mistake: this law will harm the kids, families and reputation of this state.”

Many top child welfare organizations, from Kansas and across the country, have spoken out in opposition of the bill, including the Child Welfare League of America, North American Council on Adoptable Children, National Center for Adoption and Permanency, Foster Club, Voice For Adoption, Foster Adopt Connect, Kansas Appleseed, and Children’s Alliance of Kansas. This bill most harms children in the system who are awaiting placement in qualified, loving homes and are instead denied placement with a family due to a lack of prospective parents. Experts agree that child welfare services should be guided by the overarching principle that guides all family law: all determinations should be in the best interest of the child. SB 284 clearly violates this principle.

Additionally, an interfaith group of Kansas-based faith leaders, and state and national faith organizations sent a letter to the legislature opposing SB 284. The letter is signed by more than 50 Kansas-based faith leaders and statewide organizations and 39 national and statewide faith organizations. These individuals and organizations represent people of faith from more than a dozen religious denominations and are based in nearly 20 different communities in Kansas.

HRC recently released a report, titled Disregarding the Best Interest of the Child: License to Discriminate In Child Welfare Services, detailing the harms of efforts to write anti-LGBTQ discrimination by child welfare agencies into law. Statistics suggest that an estimated two million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are interested in adoption, but the LGBTQ community often remains an untapped resource when it comes to finding families for children and youth in foster care.

Research consistently shows that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, as many have been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBTQ status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. SB 284 will only exacerbate these challenges faced by LGBTQ young people.

www.hrc.org/blog/discrimination-in-kansas-governor-signs-anti-lgbtq-bill?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Transgender Man Shot to Death in Atlanta

Nino Fortson is the 10th trans person and first trans man known to die by homicide this year. Meanwhile, an arrest is made in another killing.

www.advocate.com/crime/2018/5/18/transgender-man-shot-death-atlanta

Max Emerson measures his boyfriend for a condom
He used a special device to find the right fit.

www.queerty.com/max-emerson-measures-boyfriend-condom-20180518?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Kansas Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Discrimination Against Gay Couples Who Want to Adopt

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer today signed a bill today legalizing discrimination against gay couples who want to adopt children. Oklahoma’s governor Mary Fallin signed a similar bill into law last week.

The Wichita Eagle reports:

The bill, approved by the Legislature in early May, allows agencies to refuse placement of children “for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement of such child would violate such agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs.”

Colyer signed the bill Friday at Youth Horizons Kinloch Price Boys Ranch, a Christian nonprofit that offers residential care for boys with severe individual and family challenges.

Wrote HRC of the bill:

SB 284 could have a sweeping, harmful impact in child welfare services by enabling discrimination against LGBTQ people, same-sex couples, interfaith couples, single parents, married couples in which one prospective parent has previously been divorced, or other qualified parents to whom an agency has an objection. The biggest barrier to placing children with families is a lack of qualified prospective parents; having the state give contractors and subcontractors a license to discriminate, thereby limiting the pool of prospective parents for no legitimate reason, is unconscionable and an unacceptable use of taxpayer dollars.

The post Kansas Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Discrimination Against Gay Couples Who Want to Adopt appeared first on Towleroad.

Kansas Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Discrimination Against Gay Couples Who Want to Adopt

HRC Responds to Trump-Pence Administration’s Attack on Women’s Health Care Through a Gag Rule

Today, HRC responded to news that the Trump-Pence Administration is considering a rule that would aggressively block patients from receiving necessary guidance from medical professionals on reproductive health care by restricting federal funding to medical facilities that provide comprehensive information about their reproductive health care options, perform abortions or refer patients to facilities that do.

“This is an unprecedented attack millions of women and LGBTQ people who rely on health care facilities, including Planned Parenthood, for reproductive health care,” said David Stacy, HRC Government Affairs Director. “The Trump-Pence Administration is once again attempting to undermine access to care for women and LGBTQ people, putting lives at risk. Planned Parenthood and similar health care providers offer a wide variety of crucial services, including 700,000 HIV tests each year, birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and general health exams. Everyone, regardless of their background, deserves the best medical care and information available. This proposed rule would help no one. It is a cynical political attack from a White House that has spent its time in office systematically eroding legal protections and essential services for vulnerable communities.”

The proposed gag rule would:

• Make it impossible for millions of patients to get birth control or preventative care from facilities like Planned Parenthood;
• Prevent health care workers from referring patients to facilities that provide safe and legal abortions; and
• Remove the guarantee that patients receive full and accurate information from their medical providers.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) and American College of Gynecologists (ACOG) have both come out against changes like those in this proposed rule. The rule would be a radical departure from America standards of care and has never been implemented domestically.

www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-responds-to-trump-pence-administrations-attack-on-womens-health-care?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed