Ga.’s John Lewis pushes bill to stop anti-LGBT bias in adoption, foster care


U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) will join U.S. Rep.  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) tomorrow at the U.S. Capitol to discuss the Every Child Deserves a Family Act.

The legislation, if passed, would prohibit federal funds going to foster care or adoption programs that “discriminate against potential adoption families because of marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation or the gender identity of the adoptive child.”

More than 40 LGBT organizations have signed on to support the act including Georgia Equality and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. Dozens of other adoption and foster care groups as well as civil rights and faith-based organizations are also part of a broad coalition backing the legislation.

Joining Lewis will be Philip McAdoo and Sean Cavanaugh of Atlanta, who have adopted 7-year-old Zaden into their family. 

“This bill is an important addition to existing non-discrimination law in this country,” said Rep. John Lewis in a prepared statement. 

“With it we are saying that no agency receiving federal money has the right to stop adoptions because a willing and able family is headed by a single mother or father, a same sex couple or because of the gender identity of the child.  With about 400,000 children in this country who need to find a home, we should open up the process to all families who are loving and capable of raising responsible children.”

Photo: U.S. Rep. John Lewis is a sponsor of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. (file photo)