ACLU-TN Statement on Tennessee House Advancing Adoption Discrimination Bill

NASHVILLE – Today the Tennessee House passed HB 836, would allow child placing agencies to discriminate against prospective foster and adoptive families based on the agency’s “religious or moral convictions or policies.”

The following can be attributed to Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee:

“We are very troubled by the House’s decision to pass this damaging, discriminatory legislation. This bill allows the use of religion to discriminate against prospective parents for any number of reasons, from their religion to their sexual orientation, marital status and beyond. Turning away good families simply because they don’t satisfy one agency’s religious preferences would deny thousands of Tennessee children access to the families they urgently want and need. We urge members of the Senate to put the best interests of Tennessee’s children first and vote down this bill.”