Governor Mike Pence of Indiana faced national scrutiny for his anti-LGBT stances (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty)
In news that will come as a shock to queer people everywhere, Mike Pence has said he “couldn’t be more proud” of an anti-LGBT+ adoption rule.
The US vice president – who is notorious for his anti-LGBT+ views – made his comments at the Department of Health & Human Services, the Washington Blade reports.
He was speaking about a new rule introduced by the Trump administration which will mean that LGBT+ people can be denied the opportunity to adopt children from religious agencies.
Unsurprisingly, Mike Pence wants to protect faith-based adoption agencies – but isn’t concerned about LGBT+ people.
“We’ve reversed the rule implemented in the closing days of the last administration that jeopardised the ability of faith-based providers to serve those in need by penalising them for their deeply held religious beliefs,” Pence said.
“We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organisations to support adoption.
“And I’ll make you one more promise: Child welfare providers will never be forced to choose between their faith and serving those in need – not on our watch.”
Pence went on to talk about the “vital role that faith-based organisations play in adoption” in the United States, while completely ignoring the vital role played by LGBT+ people.
We will stand for the freedom of religion and we will stand with faith-based organisations to support adoption.
Elsewhere in his speech, Pence spoke out against abortion, saying there are “roughly the same number of couples experiencing infertility – infertility in this country than there are abortions”.
After threatening the change for some time, the Trump administration announced on November 1 that religious adoption agencies would be allowed to discriminate against LGBT+ people going forward. The rule change was announced on the first day of National Adoption Month.
The ‘outrageous’ new rule will make adoption even harder for same-sex couples.
The change means that adoption agencies that are run by religious organisations will be able to refuse to deal with LGBT+ people on the basis of religious freedom.
Julie Kruse of Family Equality hit out at the Trump administration’s rule earlier this month, calling it “outrageous”.
“The American public overwhelmingly opposes allowing taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to turn away qualified parents simply because they are in a same-sex relationship.”
Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said they were planning to sue the Trump administration over the plan.
“Families who are rejected by an agency because of their faith or sexual orientation may not have other options in their area,” Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the ACLU LGBT and HIV project, said in a statement on May 30.
“Even if they do, the sting and humiliation of discrimination may deter some from approaching other agencies to possibly face more discrimination.”