Monday, April 01, 2019

Nope Not Going To Happen

What I sometimes do is save a link to a story that I want to write about but sometimes events change.

The article that I wanted to write about was about Michigan banning LGBTQ+ adoption but then this article came out…
Michigan will no longer fund adoption agencies that discriminate against gays
Detroit Free Press
By Kathleen Gray
March 22, 2019

Michigan will no longer financially support adoption and foster care agencies that refuse to work with same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals because of religious beliefs under the terms of a settlement of a lawsuit negotiated by Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The settlement, which was announced Friday, sets up a battle with the Republican-led Legislature, which passed a law in 2015 that allows adoptions agencies to refuse to work with members of the LGBTQ community.

The terms of the settlement require that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services agrees to maintain nondiscriminatory provisions in its foster care and adoption agency contracts. It also calls for the department to enforce the nondiscrimination provisions by terminating contracts with agencies that either discriminate against same-sex couples or LGBTQ individuals who would otherwise qualify to become foster or adoptive parents or that refer them to other agencies.
[…]
In 2015, Republicans in the Michigan Legislature, voting mostly along party lines, passed a controversial bill that allows adoption and foster care agencies to cite religious convictions when refusing to work with same-sex couples who want to adopt or foster a child.
Why is it always the Republicans?

What did Christian News Service think about this?
Agencies Can’t Cite Religious Belief to Bar Kids From Gay Adopters, Rules Michigan’s Lesbian AG
By Alex Madajian
March 29, 2019

(CNSNews.com) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently ordered that foster care and adoption agencies in the state – specifically those that contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) – cannot cite religious beliefs to avoid placing children in homosexual homes or with a homosexual adopter.

Attorney General Nessel is a lesbian “married” to her girlfriend, Alanna Maguire, and they have two children.

The directive means that all foster care and adoption services in Michigan that are faith-based and opposed to placing children in homosexual homes could lose their contracts with the state, if they don’t change their policies.
Ah… it is all a lesbian plot to undermine using “religious freedom” to discriminate and use public funding to do so.
In other words, if you contract with the MDHHS to place children into foster care or into adoption, you must comply with the “non-discrimination provisions” in the contract, regardless of your religious beliefs.
Oh, what a far-reaching idea… you can’t discriminate!
Nessel is "an ideological extremist who has repeatedly demonstrated her animus toward the Catholic Church and people of faith," said Catholic League President Bill Donohue in a statement. "In a settlement with the ACLU, she has decreed that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services must end state contracts with faith-based agencies, rather than allow them to make child placement decisions in accord with their religious beliefs."

"Once again, Nessel demonstrates her contempt for the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom, decreeing that faith-based agencies must check their religious principles at the door before they will be allowed to provide services for children in need," said Donohue. "Nessel is keeping her campaign promise to put her radical agenda ahead of the best interests of children."
Yes what a radical idea, if you take public money you have for everyone’s benefit not just for your little select group.



No surprise here,
155 Democrats, 0 Republicans join Congressional LGBT caucus
Pink News
By Nick Duffy
12th March 2019

Zero Republican lawmakers and 155 Democrats have joined the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus.

The caucus, which advocates for LGBT+ rights within Congress, relaunched for the 116th Congress on Monday (March 11), following the 2018 midterm elections in November.

The group will be co-chaired by all eight of the out LGB lawmakers who now sit in the House of Representatives: Democratic Reps. David Cicilline, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Katie Hill, Sean Patrick Maloney, Chris Pappas, Mark Pocan and Mark Takano.

For the first time, a majority of all House Democrats have joined the group, with 18 vice chairs and 129 general members signing on to jointly work towards LGBT+ equality.
I don’t like everything the Democrats are doing but I sure as hell dislike everything the Republicans are doing.



This afternoon I am teaching two classes.

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