The Texas House was scheduled Saturday
to debate a bill that would allow state-funded or private adoption
agencies to reject gay parents based on their religious objections.
Overwhelmed lawmakers decided to delay
the debate. The House is now expected to consider the bill next
week.
Similar laws have been passed in five
other states, but Texas' proposal, modeled after a South Dakota law,
would extend to state-funded agencies.
Opponents say the bill would also allow
faith-based adoption agencies to reject applicants based on religious
affiliation or marital status.
“This would allow adoption agencies
to turn away qualified, loving parents who are perhaps perfect in
every way because the agency has a difference in religious beliefs,”
Catherine Oakley with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) told the AP.
“This goes against the best interest of the child.”
The bill's author, Republican Rep.
James Frank, said that adoption agencies should be free to pick
like-minded parents.
“My guess is if you have an LGBT
agency, they're going to pick an LGBT family, and if you have a
Baptist agency, they may be more likely to pick a Baptist family,”
Frank said. “[They] should be free to do that.”