Roman Catholic
adoption agencies won't be penalized by the state of
Massachusetts for refusing to consider gays and lesbians as
adoptive parents, even though doing so violates state
antidiscrimination laws. The state Department of Early
Education, which regulates adoption agencies, said it
is not taking action because Gov. Mitt Romney has proposed
legislation that could allow the agencies to refrain from
considering gays on religious grounds. "We're going to
wait and see how the legislation plays out,"
Constantia Papanikolaou, the agency's general counsel,
told The Boston Globe.
Romney proposed
the bill after Catholic Charities of Boston announced
last month it was ending its adoption services because it
could not reconcile state law with church teaching,
which considers adoption by gays "gravely
immoral." Gary Buseck, legal director of Gay and
Lesbian Advocates and Defenders in Boston, said his group
has not publicly protested because the state will have
a new governor next year.
All of the
candidates for governor oppose exempting Catholic groups
from antidiscrimination laws. Romney is not seeking
another term.
Catholic
Charities of Boston ended its adoption services in March.
Since then, several other Catholic social service
agencies have said they will not accept gay
applicants. Catherine Loeffler, executive director of
Catholic Charities of Worcester, said her agency is not
harming gays and lesbians by refusing to consider them
because it simply refers these applicants to other
agencies. (AP)
