Illinois Refuses To Fund Discriminatory Orgs, Catholics Clutch Pearls In Shock

50 years ago, Catholic Charities formed a relationship with the state of Illinois, garnering them millions over the years and placing thousands of the children in their adoption services with families in the Prairie State.  This week, that relationship has ended, with Illinois declining to renew contracts with the faith-based organization.  Why?  Because Catholic Charities is refusing to abide by Illinois state law and continues to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The newly passed Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, which was designed in order to provide more homes with loving parents, is the cited reason for the breach.  In essence, if Catholic Charities had provided adoption services to couples who have civil unions in Illinois, they could have avoided losing state money.  All they had to do was obey the law, put aside their discriminatory policies, and give children loving homes with gay couples seeking children.

Now, of course, they're quick to point fingers at the state and blame them for oncoming detriment to the children in their "care."

From the Chicago Tribune:

"Though four Catholic Charities agencies had already stopped licensing new foster parents, three of them will seek an injunction from a Sangamon County judge on Tuesday to continue serving families and abiding by Catholic principles that prohibit placing children with unmarried cohabiting couples.

"'We’re not sure what the state is intending to do or how it’s intending to do it,' said Peter Breen, an attorney with the Thomas More Society representing Catholic Charities. 'It’s a surprise. But it’s also very disturbing. The impact on the [nearly 2,000] children in Catholic Charities care will be catastrophic.'"

Right.  And that impact could have been avoided if Catholic Charities had simply stopped being assholes about gay folk.  Instead, they continue to flout common sense and scientific studies on the issue of gay parenthood, and now their government check won't come in.

I hope this is a lesson to faith-based organizations hoping to continue to deprive children of every loving home possible: you can't do your job if you flout law, conventional wisdom, and common decency.  If these people really cared about these children, they would set aside their idiocy and choose the no-brainer: Accept gay couples as valid parents.  

OneAngryCultist: Good News and Bad News

GOOD NEWS:

After thirty or so years of hemming and hawing, the Presbyterian Church USA has proudly joined the ranks of other mainline Protestant churches in the United States by ratifying a vote to allow openly-identified LGBTQ clergy to be ordained as ministers. LA Times reports:

With the vote of its regional organization in Minnesota, the Presbyterian Church USA became the fourth mainline Protestant church to allow gay ordination, following the Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches and the United Church of Christ. The Minnesota vote was closely followed by one in Los Angeles.

The change to the Presbyterian Church constitution was approved last summer by the church's General Assembly, its governing body. But under church rules, such changes must then be ratified by a majority of the 173 regional organizations known as presbyteries.

Late Tuesday, at a meeting in St. Louis Park, a Minneapolis suburb, the Twin Cities Presbytery put the measure over the top with a vote of 205 to 56, becoming the 87th regional body to vote yes. About 90 minutes later, the Pacific Presbytery, representing parts of Southern California and all of Hawaii, added its voice, voting 102 to 60 in favor.

Congratulations Presbyterians! Hopefully more churches start following your example by following in the example of the radical acceptance that J.C. taught 2000 years ago.




BAD NEWS:

After proudly announcing that Navy Chaplains would be allowed to perform same-sex unions on base and have them legally binding in states and territories where teh gay is accepted, conservatives crying wolf have unfortunately pushed progress on the backburner yet again. MSNBC reports:

Under pressure from more than five dozen House lawmakers, the Navy late Tuesday abruptly reversed its decision that would have allowed chaplains to perform same-sex unions if the Pentagon decides to recognize openly gay military service later this year. House members wrote to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus (Pdf) to object to the Navy's initial ruling, saying the service was violating the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act by appearing to recognize and support same-sex marriages.

That law defines marriage as only between a man and a woman, and it also says states don't have to recognize gay marriages performed in other states where they are legal.

"We find it unconscionable that the United States Navy, a federal entity sworn to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States, believes it is their place alone to train and direct service members to violate federal law," said the lawmakers' letter, which was signed by 63 House members.

So, yeah, once again the GOP has proven itself consistent in being the party of Grumpy Old People. Sorry guys.

The Reprieve For Binational Couples Is Over

Gay binational couples' hopes were briefly raised, as I reported on Sunday, by word that Immigration would hold deporting gay spouses who were being denied green cards on the basis of DOMA.  Those hopes were dashed today.

"But on Tuesday, Mr. Bentley issued a new statement, saying that Citizenship and Immigration Services 'has not implemented any change in policy and intends to follow the president’s directive to continue enforcing the law.' Mr. Bentley said the agency’s field offices had suspended cases for a short period, perhaps a week or two, while lawyers clarified a 'narrow legal issue' concerning the marriage act. He said the agency would probably resume action on same-sex marriage cases in coming days and would continue to deny immigration status to foreigners based on those marriages."

It has been confirmed that DOMA will continue to be enforced in these cases.  Le sigh.  Looks like my planned seduction of the Crown Prince of Montenegro is going to have to go on hold.

[NYTimes]