USCCB at it again -- this time, the target is gay parents

[theHandpuppet]

Make no mistake -- this is aimed at excluding gay parents from adopting. There's that "religious liberty" clause again -- and folks thought that was just about Hobby Lobby.

Edited to add: in case anyone's forgotten, Archbishop Cordileone was a guest speaker at NOM's "March for Marriage".

USCCB Chairmen Strongly Endorse the Inclusion Act
July 31, 2014
Religious liberty is for all Americans, including child welfare providers
Inclusion Act remedies unjust discrimination
Parental choice among adoption agencies needs to be protected

WASHINGTON–Three chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gave their strong support for the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2014, which was introduced on July 30 by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) in the U.S. Senate.

In separate letters of support, July 31, to Rep. Kelly and Sen. Enzi, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development said, “[O]ur first and most cherished freedom, religious liberty, is to be enjoyed by all Americans, including child welfare providers who serve the needs of our most vulnerable – children.”

Commenting on the protections in the Inclusion Act, the chairmen noted that “the Act would prohibit federal and state officials in the administration of federally funded child welfare services from excluding child welfare providers simply because of the providers’ religious beliefs or moral convictions.”

The chairmen stated that in some places, including Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and the District of Columbia, some religious child welfare providers have been excluded from carrying out adoption and foster care services because the providers believe that children deserve to be placed with a married mother and father....

MORE at http://www.usccb.org/news/2014/14-135.cfm

[pinto]

1. Private, federally funded child welfare providers are essentially federal subcontractors, no?

If that's accurate then they ought to be held to the non-discrimination standards recently announced for all federal subcontractors.

[theHandpuppet]

2. In recent years Catholic-affiliated adoption agencies have shut down...

... rather than comply with any regulations requiring them to consider gay couples as potential parents. I'm a bit pressed for time this afternoon or I could provide you with citations. Pretty much the same thing has happened with regard to some immigration aid/rights groups; the church has withdrawn its support if said immigration agency refuses to renounce any support for LGBTs.

[theHandpuppet]

4. This is just the latest example of what I referred to in my post

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/07/immigrant-rights-group-loses-catholic-funds-over-gay-marriage-affiliation/
Immigrant rights group loses Catholic funds over gay marriage affiliation
Associated Press
Wednesday, July 16, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Catholic organization has decided to cut off long-standing funding to a Portland, Oregon, immigrant rights group over its affiliation with an organization that supports same-sex marriage.

Voz-volunteers-1Voz Workers’ Rights Education lost a $75,000 grant in June from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The group is the anti-poverty program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Catholic Campaign said it asked Voz to cut ties with the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization that endorses marriage equality.

After Voz refused, it “self-disqualified” itself from the funding process....

[nomorenomore08]

3. Fuck the RCC. Sideways.

P.S. Didn't there used to be a "flipping the bird" smiley? It would certainly be appropriate for this thread.