Senator Announces Bill to End Adoption Discrimination

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, said today she plans to introduce legislation that would ban discrimination against LGBT people in adoption services, the Associated Press reports.

"The Every Child Deserves a Family Act would prohibit any entity that receives federal funds from discriminating against adoptive or foster parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status," the AP reports.

Three states -- Louisiana, Michigan, and Mississippi -- prohibit joint adoption by same-sex couples, while four others deny second-parent adoptions to these couples. Gillibrand said a uniform national policy would facilitate more adoptions.