The Tennessee state legislature has now passed a bill that would allow adoption agencies to deny gay couples over religious and moral convictions.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign the bill into law, and his office has told reporters Gov. Lee will be signing the bill as soon as he returns from a trip.
The bill, HB836, was passed by the state House previously and was awaiting the Senate to pass the equivalent bill. Tennessee Senators passed the bill 20-6, with five Republican senators voting “present,” meaning a neutral vote. This is despite the fact all five argued against the bill including Senate Majority Leader Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge).
To modify an old saying, the senators should put their vote where their mouth is. Yet, Republican officials are often hesitant to go against churches. This bill is supported by the Southern Baptist Convention among other church bodies, potentially answering the question as to why five senators voted present despite previously opposing the bill.
Religious groups argue it is within their First Amendment right to protect their religious beliefs that only straight couples should have children, and without accepting government funding they should make that choice. Yet, same sex couples have not been proven to be any less beneficial to a child’s development compared to straight couples.
According to research from Cornell’s Public Policy Research Center, who reviewed 79 scholarly articles on same-sex adoption, 75 of the 79 concluded children fare no worse in same-sex homes. Children are no more likely to be bullied for it and even show higher high school graduation rates. With 1,600 kids in the Tennessee Foster care program, these are homes kids may never get to be part of.
“There are foster programs out there that take good care of them… but it doesn’t mean the kid will feel like they are at home,” said Haylie Fortner, president of the pro-LGBTQ organization Spectrum at UTM. “We think we should have just as many opportunities as straight couples.”
In an attempt to talk to local adoption agencies, I contacted the Agape House who referred me to their CEO who was unavailable for comment.
An agency in Milan refused to comment.
Despite this, gay couples do have higher divorce rates, especially lesbian couples, which is difficult for children. Also children are prone to statistically significant intergenerational transfer of sexual orientation, meaning they are more likely to decide they are gay when adopted by gay parents. Maybe this means they are more comfortable coming out, or maybe it’s an effect from the environment.
With House bill 836’s passing, adopted children are at no risk of being separated from gay parents, but we may now see fewer foster kids adopted. This is a decision kids don’t deserve.
Even proponents of such religious protections are nervous about the new bill. Speaker McNally’s spokesperson, Adam Kleinheider said, “Tennessee already has broad protection for religious freedom written into our code that covers many areas, including adoption. Lt. Governor McNally is concerned passing specific legislation on adoption could have the unintended consequence of putting that blanket protection at risk.”
This bill puts the First Amendment rights of churches in front of the well-being of foster children finding loving families.
Instead of judges looking into the well-being of children, politicians made that choice for them.
Photo Credit / Associated Press
