Oklahoma Becomes First State In 2018 To Sign Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Into Law

By Lambda Legal

May 11, 2018


Today, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed SB 1140, a license-to-discriminate 
bill that would allow taxpayer-funded child welfare agencies to reject foster or
adoptive parents based upon the agency’s religious beliefs. A similar bill, 
SB 284, sits on the desk of Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer awaiting signature.

Currey Cook, Counsel and Director, Youth in Out-of-Home Care Project, 
Lambda Legal, issued the following statement:

“With the stroke of a pen, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin earns
 the dubious honor of becoming the first governor in 2018 to 
write anti-LGBT discrimination into law and withhold loving 
homes from Oklahoma children. We will work hard to ensure  
other governors will think twice before adding their names to 
this roll of heartlessness and cruelty.
“There are children in the Oklahoma child welfare system in 
desperate need of loving families. And there are loving and 
qualified LGBT individuals and couples in Oklahoma 
who want nothing more than to give those children the warm,
 caring and safe environment they deserve.
"SB 1140, much like SB 284 in Kansas, works to withhold 
those families from those children.  It gives special permission 
to religiously-affiliated government-funded child welfare agencies 
to place the agencies’ beliefs above the needs and best interests 
of children in care and discriminate against parents who are 
trying to provide a loving home.
“We hope that other governors, most immediately Kansas 
Gov. Colyer, will not follow Oklahoma’s example and 
will put the needs of the child first.
"To deny qualified parents eager to foster or adopt children 
in need of loving homes because  of their sexual orientation 
or gender-identity or particular religious belief is not only 
wrong, but impacts the most vulnerable the most.”
Lambda Legal asks any youth or adults who have experienced 
discrimination in Oklahoma’s or Kansas’s child welfare systems 
to call our Help Desk at 212.809.8585 or  complete this online form.
Read more about Lambda Legal’s work with children in 
out-of-home care here.  https://www.lambdalegal.org/issues/youth-in-out-of-home-care



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