Thursday, March 8, 2012
Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign into law a bill that would allow state-funded private child-placement agencies the right to deny services based on their religious or moral beliefs.
Greg Greeley grew up in a large family and knew that one day he would want to start his own. "When I decided to start a family, and began reaching out to adopt, I was a single father," said Greeley, who moved to Virginia in 1987. He was in the Air Force and stationed at the Pentagon. As a single, gay man, Greeley faced many challenges before successfully navigating the state's adoption process. He started the process in 2001. A year later, after locating a progressive child-placement agency in Virginia, he adopted his first child from Ukraine. "It was a hard process and I was lucky," said Greeley, who lives in Arlington and now has a second adopted son from El Salvador. "The first question I asked each agency was, 'Do you work with single …
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Falls Church Councilman Webb calls clause unconscionable.
The Virginia Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow adoption agencies to deny placements based on sexual orientation and other factors but not to discriminate based on other characteristics, such as race, color or national origin, which are protected under federal law, according to a Washington Times story. Senators approved House Bill 189 by a vote of 22-18. Senators Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William) and Phillip P. Puckett (D-Russell) joined 20 Republicans in voting for the measure, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The bill is known as the “conscience clause.” In a statement Tuesday, City of Falls Church Councilman Lawrence Webb said it’s unconscionable that people are putting their personal beliefs in front of …
Friday, February 10, 2012
Bits and bites from Virginia and national politics.
Restraining pregnant inmates: A House subcommittee this week tabled a bill introduced by Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, that would have prevented the state prison officials from using shackles on pregnant inmates. Supporters of Hope's bill called the practice "barbaric" and likened it to "torture," according to the Associated Press. Arlington County Sheriff Beth Arthur said state regulations, not legislation, should be used to address the matter, the AP reports. Senate passes 'conscience clause': Democrats offered 18 amendments this week hoping to weaken or stop Republican-sponsored legislation that allows child placement agencies under contract with the state to discriminate based on their moral or religious beliefs. They failed, …
David
12:18 am on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Gerald, the question remains, do you agree with scripture that ALL homosexuals, adulterers, liars, thiefs, bestializers, anyone who curses, disobedient/willful/petulant children, people with tatoos, believers in astrology, women who are not virgins before their marriage, anyone having premarital sex, anyone who transacts business on the sabbath, wearers of mixed fabrics, eaters of shrimp, crabs, … more ›