New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
announced on Friday that she would introduce a bill to bar
discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people
who want to adopt or become foster care parents.
Gillibrand said she would sponsor the
Every Child Deserves a Family Act in the Senate.
If approved, the bill would ban
federally-funded foster care and child adoption agencies from
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“New York is a leader on ensuring
that any family can adopt children and sets a great example for the
rest of the country,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “By
removing all barriers for LGBT families to serve as foster parents,
New York State has increased its foster parent pool by 128,000
prospective parents. This legislation would open thousands of new
foster and adoptive homes to children ensuring they are raised in
loving families.”
The proposed legislation is sponsored
by California Rep. Pete Stark in the House.
“I applaud Senator Gillibrand for
introducing the Every Child Deserves a Family Act in the Senate as we
look forward to celebrating National Adoption Month in November,”
said Stark. “It is time to put the best interests of children
first and remove all discriminatory barriers in our child welfare
system.”