After Texas passed a law in 2017 allowing foster care agencies to cite sincerely held religious beliefs to deny placements to gay couples, California banned state-funded travel to the Lone Star State. By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to strike down a 2016…
In Lawsuit, Texas Couple Claims They Were Illegally Turned Down as Foster Parents Because They Are Lesbians
By Sydney Greene, Texas Tribune This story has been updated to include a comment from the Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops. Two female Texas A&M; University professors who say they were denied a chance to become foster parents for refugee children because they didn’t “mirror the Holy Family” have sued the federal government and a…
Citing Religious Refusal of Adoption Rule, California Bans State Travel to Texas
By Matthew Watkins, The Texas Tribune June 22, 2017 Saying that a new Texas law allowing child welfare providers to deny adoptions to parents based on “sincerely held religious beliefs” is discriminatory, California’s attorney general on Thursday banned state-funded travel to Texas. The attorney general’s office said in a news release that Texas’ House Bill…
Texas Governor Signs Bill Denying Adoption to Same-Sex Couples
Texas Governor Greg Abbot signed House Bill 3859 on June 15, allowing faith-based adoption agencies to deny placement of foster children with same-sex couples, Jews, Muslims and others based on “the provider’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” The bill was authored by Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), vice chairman of the House Human Services Committee. According…
Lawmakers Engaged in ‘Unprecedented Effort’ to Roll Back Civil Rights For LGBTQ Texans
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On Tuesday, the Texas House could debate and vote on a bill that would give state-funded adoption agencies the “religious freedom” to turn away LGBTQ parents. Other measures waiting for approval by Texas lawmakers would let county clerks deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples if doing so conflicts…
Former Children’s Shelter Resident Blue Hess Overcomes Great Odds
Three years ago, when Blue Hess decided he would volunteer at The Children’s Shelter, he never imagined he’d become one of the nationally accredited nonprofit’s most vocal advocates — speaking regularly to local media and working with the community to help spread the word about its many services. Since its founding in 1901, The Children’s…