UK Catholic adoption agency loses bid to ban gay parents from service

A Roman Catholic adoption charity’s appeal to be allowed to discriminate against gay people wanting it to place children with them has been rejected.

Catholic Care in Leeds, England, wanted exemption from new anti-discrimination laws so it could limit services provided to homosexual couples on religious grounds.

The Charity Commission said gay people were suitable parents and religious views did not justify discrimination.

In a statement, Catholic Care said: “The charity is very disappointed with the outcome.

(Full Story: BBC News)

8 things gay people can’t do

Ranker.com user cdu827 created a [mostly US based] list of things gay people can’t do:

After Gay Pride in Los Angeles this last weekend, and the recent news that the ban on gay men giving blood may have a hard time being overturned, and ENDA being in question again, we thought it would be a good time to give the world a reminder of things that gay people still can’t do (but should be able to); from donating blood to even living in certain communities. Hopefully this list is an eye-opener for people (of any sexual orientation) who aren’t paying attention.

View the list »

What do you think? Is anything missing from the list? Reblog and share your thoughts!

Gay couples in Denmark given equal adoption rights

Gay couples in civil partnerships in Denmark have been granted the right to adopt children together, reports The Copenhagen Post.

Around a year after a bill was introduced, parliament voted in favor yesterday but without the support of the government.

The bill was supported by the opposition Social Democrats and Socialist People’s Party. The ruling Liberal Party opposed it, though seven Liberal MPs broke ranks and voted for it.

The new legislation was welcomed by the Danish National Association of Gays & Lesbians (LGBT Denmark).

LGBT Denmark’s Hans Christian Seidelin said, “The most important thing is that in the future it won’t be rigid legislation but a qualified adoption authority that will make the decision about who would make a suitable adopter.”

Catholic adoption society wins exemption from using gay parents

A Catholic adoption society today won the right in the high court not to consider homosexual couples as parents.

The verdict was welcomed by the society and by the Catholic church authorities, but provoked dismay among gay rights campaigners.

Catholic Care, serving the dioceses of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Hallam in South Yorkshire, warned it would give up its work of finding homes for children, as many Catholic adoption societies have already done, rather than comply with the legislation, which would have barred it from refusing to consider same sex couples.

The Bishop of Leeds, Right Rev Arthur Roche, said outside the court: “Our case has not been brought on an anti-gay agenda of any sort. We respect, and would not want to diminish, the dignity of any person.”

(Full story: The Guardian)