{"id":5454,"date":"2021-04-22T15:17:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T19:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/polehanki\/?p=5454"},"modified":"2021-04-22T15:17:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T19:17:15","slug":"senate-democrats-lead-effort-to-expand-adoption-rights-to-lgbtq-families-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.senatedems.com\/polehanki\/2021\/04\/22\/senate-democrats-lead-effort-to-expand-adoption-rights-to-lgbtq-families-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Democrats lead effort to expand adoption rights to LGBTQ families, others"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LANSING, Mich. (April 22, 2021) \u2014 Today, Sens. Jeremy Moss<\/strong> (D-Southfield), Curtis Hertel Jr.<\/strong> (D-East Lansing), Jeff Irwin<\/strong> (D-Ann Arbor), and Dayna Polehanki<\/strong> (D-Livonia) reintroduced legislation to end the discrimination in adoption law against LGBTQ couples and other prospective parents in Michigan.

Senate Bills 384-386 would remove barriers that prevent same-sex couples and other impacted minorities from access to services from state-funded adoption agencies and SB 387 would expand adoption rights to loving couples in Michigan.

\u201cWe have too many vulnerable Michigan children waiting to find loving homes. It\u2019s irresponsible that state law sanctions the discrimination that would deny certain Michigan couples the right to participate in parenthood,\u201d Sen. Moss said. \u201cLGBTQ couples should not face additional hurdles or confusion about the process to raise a family in their community \u2014 and the state certainly should not be funding that discrimination.\u201d

In 2015, the Legislature passed legislation to allow faith-based adoption agencies to accept state funding even as they to turn away single adults, same-sex couples, or couples who follow a different religion from utilizing their services.

\u201cKids need families who will love and care for them \u2014 plain and simple,\u201d Sen. Hertel said. \u201cDiscriminatory practices are barriers that prevent them from living happy, fulfilling lives with families who are willing to give them the love and care they deserve.\u201d

Attorney General Dana Nessel reached a court settlement in 2019 to ban state-contracted agencies from prohibiting adoptions to LGBTQ families<\/a>. Following the settlement, Bethany Christian Services \u2014 an evangelical foster care and adoption agency based in Michigan \u2014 announced it would allow LGBTQ parents to adopt children across the U.S.<\/a> These bills seek to repeal the problematic religious exemption that remains in state law.

\u201cFamily structure has changed dramatically over the last several decades, and our state law should reflect that,\u201d Sen. Irwin said. \u201cMichigan\u2019s second-parent adoption ban unfairly discriminates against a specific group of people \u2014 unmarried couples and their children \u2014 and leaves these kids and their families in legal limbo. Whether it\u2019s custody, financial support, hospital visitations, or school decisions, we’re talking about doing the right thing for children who deserve certainty that someone who loves them can be their best advocate throughout childhood.\u201d

If passed, the introduced legislation would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n