Tennessee state lawyers pass bill allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ parents
The bill was put forward by Republican Tim Rudd
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Tennessee state lawmakers have passed a legislation allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ parents.
Last year, it was reported that the bill was passed through the Republican-dominated House with a vote of 67 to 22.
Republican Tim Rudd said the bill would stop adoption agencies in the state from being ‘required to perform, assist, consent to, refer, or participate in any child placement for foster care or adoption that would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions’.
Other states have similar laws in place, including Kansa and Oklahoma who both passed their legislation.
And now, the state’s Senate passed the bill allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ couples if they claimed it was for religious reasons, according to The Tennessean.
The bill was passed in the House in April last year and was the first thing that the Senate addressed in the 2020 legislative session.
It was passed in Senate 20-6 will all five Democrats voting against and five Republicans declining to vote.
Only one Republican, Steve Dickerson, voted against the new legislation and argued the state would become the subject of boycotts and eventually suffer financial and economic impacts as a result.