Gov. Brownback's Executive Order 15-05 is unnecessary and harmful

Affiliate: ACLU of Kansas
July 7, 2015 4:00 pm

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ACLU of Kansas
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Earlier today, Gov. Sam Brownback issued Executive Order 15-05. The following statement on the Executive Order may be attributed to Micah Kubic, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas:

“We are deeply disappointed by the Executive Order issued today, which is unnecessary and harmful. Religious institutions have never been required to marry anyone outside their faith traditions. Allowing same-sex couples to marry—as the U.S. Supreme Court has now ruled is the law of the land in all 50 states—does not change that in any way, and so today’s Executive Order is unnecessary.

Today’s Executive Order is, however, deeply harmful in that it sanctions discrimination against loving, committed same-sex couples by all manner of religious organizations using taxpayer funding. As a result of Executive Order 15-05, a homeless shelter that received a state contract or grant could refuse family housing to a gay couple with a child, or a foster care agency could refuse to place a child in their custody with the child’s family member just because the family member was in a same-sex relationship – and the state could not require them to treat all families equally. In addition, singling out just one form of religious beliefs about marriage poses serious constitutional concerns.

The governor’s action today is reminiscent of another ill-advised, discriminatory law – HB 2453, which Kansans emphatically rejected in 2014.

The ACLU of Kansas will continue to closely monitor the implications of this damaging executive order.”

The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the united States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, please contact Micah Kubic at (816) 994-3314 or visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.

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