Fwd: Tell Congress: Promoting discrimination is NOT religious freedom

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign <hrc@hrc.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 7:19 AM
Subject: Tell Congress: Promoting discrimination is NOT religious freedom
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act would allow for adoption and foster care agencies to blatantly discriminate under the guise of religious freedom. Tell your member of Congress to VOTE NO against the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act and protect the rights of prospective adoptive and foster parents across the nation. TAKE ACTION ›› Dear Jen, While critical bills are at a standstill, leaders in Congress are not just trying to sue the President—but also attacking LGBT families. In an attempt to harm potential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents, anti-LGBT leaders of Congress have introduced the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, a bill that could block adoptions and foster care under the guise of religious freedom. We need fair-minded supporters of equality to tell their senators and representatives to vote AGAINST this discriminatory, divisive bill. Last week, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced a new bill that would allow adoption or foster care providers to refuse service on the basis of their personal religious objections—the consequences of which would be immediate, random, broad and disastrous. This detrimental piece of legislation is a slippery slope that opens the door for discrimination, inequality and prejudice to nearly every citizen of every state. They have already garnered more than 30 co-sponsors for this dangerous bill. We need you to take a stand right now and contact your members of Congress to stop this bill in its tracks. Although this bill was obviously created to prevent LGBT individuals or couples from adopting or fostering a child, the repercussions extend far beyond the LGBT community. If passed into law, this bill would allow a religious adoption agency from a non-Christian faith to deny service to a straight, Christian couple. A single parent seeking to foster a child in need could be turned away no questions asked. This proves that oftentimes many fall vulnerable to discrimination under the misnomer of religious freedom. Taxpayer funds should not be used to discriminate, and too many children need loving families right now for our elected officials to be playing these kinds dangerous political games. This bill has nothing to do with faith, and it must be condemned. The impact of this far-reaching, sweeping piece of inequitable legislation will be devastating. That is why we need to let members of Congress know that their constituents are firmly against the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (S. 2706/H.R. 5285). Sincerely, David Stacy Government Affairs Director Human Rights Campaign

TAKE ACTION ››

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews