Republican Governor Rick Snyder on
Thursday signed legislation that critics say will allow private
adoption agencies to refuse to place children with gay and lesbian
couples based on their religious beliefs.
Snyder signed three bills into law.
The bills allow faith-based agencies
that contract with the state to refuse to place children with couples
on religious grounds. Sexual orientation is not specifically
mentioned in the legislation. But it's widely seen as a response to
an upcoming Supreme Court ruling in a case challenging gay marriage
bans in four states, including Michigan.
The American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) said that it plans to challenge the new laws in court.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, condemned the legislation.
“Governor Rick Snyder has proven
today that he has utter disdain for the welfare of children in
Michigan and that he cares only about empowering backwards
discrimination,” HRC
President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “This legislation
keeps children in need out of the loving homes they deserve, and it
sets this great state back decades.”