Oklahoma House approves controversial LGBTQ adoption bill

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a measure that would allow adoption and foster care agencies to reject same-sex couples on religious grounds. 

The measure, S.B. 1140, states that “no private child-placing agency shall be required to perform, assist, counsel, recommend, consent to, refer, or participate in any placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.” 

{mosads}That means that adoption and foster care agencies could turn down same-sex couples, single mothers and inter-faith couples if an agency claims that approving such applications would violate its religious or moral convictions.

The bill was approved by the Oklahoma state Senate last month and now heads to Gov. Mary Fallin’s (R) desk. 

S.B. 1140 has come under fire from LGBTQ advocacy groups, who claim that the measure would make it more difficult for children to find homes and inappropriately discriminates against same-sex couples and others.

One LGBTQ rights group, GLAAD, has called the legislation “un-American,” claiming that it targets qualified parents, because of their sexual orientation. 

“This bill is heartless and un-American. No qualified parent should be turned away from adoption or foster agencies simply because they are LGBTQ,” Zeke Stokes, the group’s vice president, said, according to Fox 25 News in Oklahoma City.