Discriminating against LGBT+ adopting couples could put LGBT+ homeless at risk
Although queer children and gender non-conforming teens may end up on Christian adoption agencies’ books, they are at risk of not receiving the specialist care they need, reports Slate.
New legislation in Kansas and Oklahoma can allow faith-based adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples, which could place LGBT+ youth at risk.
In the Midwest, researchers found that between 31 and 46 percent of these youths experienced homelessness at least once by the age of 26, affecting the state of Kansas.
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And as a whole, queer teens are 120 percent more likely to be homeless.
(Photo: Creative Commons)
LGBT+ children and teens are at a higher risk of homelessness, therefore shutting down their main care provider in states like Kansas could have an impact on their life.
LGBT+-identified youth were 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness compared to others, reported the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Kansas and Oklahoma have made it legal to discriminate against same-sex couples who want to adopt in May.
The legislation in the states, which was voted in last month, allows adoption agencies to ban same-sex couples from adopting or fostering children in need if they feel it violates their “sincerely held” religious beliefs.
“What was once tolerated is now becoming dominant and is intolerant — totally intolerant,” said Kansas state Senator Steve Fitzgerald in support of the bill, reported The Associated Press.
The Oklahoma Executive Director refused to sit down when asked to vote for the bill.
“What happened on the floor of the Oklahoma House and Senate today was a disgrace,” Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Troy Stevenson told Reuters.
“Leadership of both houses forced an unneeded, unwanted, and un-American bill onto the Governor’s desk. This measure does nothing but keep Oklahoma’s most vulnerable youth out of loving and committed homes.”
In the UK, over 10,000 LGBT+ people were made homeless this year.
