Gay adoption fight in Illinois
The long running legal battle in the state of Illinois concerning whether several Catholic charities agencies can continue to deny adoption and foster care placements to same-sex parents while still receiving state funding appears to be finally coming to an end.The Thomas More Society, the law firm representing the agencies in their fight with the state, announced it will file a motion to dismiss their lawsuit because they claim "the actions of the State have prevented the Charities from being able to obtain relief from the Illinois court system."
Appeal too late
Because the state already began transferring the charities' case load to other agencies willing to work with same-sex couples months ago, the agency says even a future court decision in favor of their appeal would come "too late."
State cancels contracts
Earlier this year, the state moved to cancel $30.6 million worth of contracts with the charities because they were not following state non-discrimination laws in denying adoption and foster care placements for couples entered into the state's newly-approved civil union law.
The charities argued that they shouldn't be forced to place children in families whose lives don't align with Catholic teaching, namely unmarried couples.
The judges ultimately agreed with the state in the lawsuit, originally filed in June.
LGBT view
Anthony Martinez, executive director of Illinois LGBT advocacy group The Civil Rights Agenda, said in a statement that the charities dropping the lawsuit "is a step in the right direction for what is best for all the citizens of this great state." "Finding a loving home for the thousands of children in the foster/adoption system should be the priority, not trying to exclude people based on religious dogma."
Legislative move
Last month, state Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) filed legislation that would amend the state's civil union law to allow for the charities to continue to not serve same-sex couples in licensing foster and adoptive parents on the state's behalf. It is as yet unclear what impact the charities' motion to dismiss its case against the state will have against that pending legislation.
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