Virginia Board Nixes Gay Adoptions

The Virginia Board of Social Services rejected a proposal that would have allowed gay couples to adopt children from any state licensed adoption agency, including those of religious groups. The board rejected the proposal 7-2 after hearing testimony from faith-based groups that argued they should be allowed to make decisions on adoptions based on faith, The Washington Post reported.

The rejected regulations would have expanded protections to cover sexual orientation, disability, age, gender, religion, political beliefs, and family status. Current rules ban discrimination based on national origin, race, and color and follow federal law, the Post reported.

Andrew Brown of the Christian America World Adoption told the Post the proposals “broad language would place an undue and unconstitutional burden on private faith-based child placing agencies by forcing us to compromise our religious beliefs in order to maintain our license to operate.”


Virginia, like 34 other states, limits adoption to single men and women and married couples. About 3,300 same-sex couples are raising more than 6,000 children in Virginia, most adopted under the state rule allowing singles to adopt, the Post reported.