Virginia House Approves Anti-Gay Adoption Bill

In yet another move that underscores that the GOP controlled Virginia General Assembly has nothing but contempt for LGBT Virginians - and the U. S. Constitution - the House of Delegates has passed a bill that permits adoption and foster care agencies being funded by the Commonwelth to discriminate against gays in adoption and foster care placements. The bigotry is yet the latest demonstration that the Republican party of Virginia is little better than the cheap and tawdry whore of the Christofascists at The Family Foundation, and affiliate of Daddy Dobson's foul Focus on the Family. This bill - which is likely to pass the now GOP controlled Senate - combined with the killing of legislation that would have barred state agencies from anti-gay employment discrimination make it very clear that LGBT Virginians live under a modern day equivalent of the Jim Crow laws of old. Yes, we are citizens - at least for the time being - but we surely are not full citizens. As I've said before, I wish circumstances were different so that I could leave this cesspool of bigotry known as Virginia. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Legislation that would allow private adoption agencies to deny placements that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality, sailed through the Virginia House of Delegates by a wide margin and without debate Friday.

The House passed the Republican-backed bill 71-28 a day after rejecting several amendments offered by Democrats aimed at softening the measure. Earlier Friday, the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee endorsed its version of the bill on an 8-7 party-line vote, sending it to the floor for a vote next week. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The conservative Family Foundation lauded Friday's developments. "We are grateful that the House of Delegates and the Senate Rehab and Social Services Committee both see the need to protect private child placement agencies that are doing incredible work helping children and families around Virginia," foundation president Victoria Cobb said in a written statement.

Sen. Mark R. Herring, D-Loudoun, said the legislation goes well beyond protecting the religious rights of faith-based agencies. He said any private agency would be able to discriminate based on moral or policy objections. "What this bill is designed to do is allow any agency to discriminate based on sexual orientation," Herring said at the committee meeting.

He said agencies that are strictly private can do what they want, but when they contract with the state to provide child placement services and receive state funding for that purpose "they should do it in a nondiscriminatory manner."

Personally, I think Victoria Cobb would be please to see every LGBT teen in the state commit suicide. She is, in my opinion, a truly vile human being and, if there is a God, I suspect Ms. Cobb will get her just deserves on Judgment Day when she finds herself in Hell. She has done her utmost yet again to make life a living hell for LGBT Virginians. Her organization might be better named "The Hate Foundation" since it is truly a hate group in my estimation.