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Take that "Catholic" charities that would rather keep orphans homeless than placing them in loving homes: an Illinois judge has ruled that you cannot discriminate against same-sex couples looking to adopt.
The judge presiding over the case has ruled that because civil unions are now law in Illinois, "Catholic" Charities can no longer discriminate against same-sex couples.
Reports the Windy City Times:
Judge John Schmidt ruled that the state did not violate the rights of charities in in Peoria, Belleville, Springfield and Joliet when The Department of Children and Family Services ( DCFS ) denied the charities foster care contracts. The state denied the contracts because the charities had refused to place children with unmarried and civil union couples.
Schmidt issued the judgment just a day after the two sides faced off in crowded Sangamon County courtroom Aug. 17.
"The fact that the Plaintiffs have contracted with the State to provide foster care and adoption services for over forty years does not vest the Plaintiffs with a protected property interest," Schmidt wrote in the judgment. "The State may refuse to renew the Plaintfiffs' contracts."
The charities had claimed that the DCFS decision not to renew contracts was illegal under religious freedom protections and argued that they have a right to continue foster care work without compromising religious practice.
"We believe that we do comply [ with the law ] because there is an exemption there," said Thomas Brejcha, an attorney for the four charities. "To say that somehow our entities are the same as non-sectarian agencies is to say that alpha is the same as omega."
"Catholic" Charities responded to the ruling by saying the civil unions law included a religious clause protecting their right to bigotry and keeping children in need homeless; however, the court has interpreted the cause to only protect homophobic religious clergy from being forced to preside over a civil union ceremony.
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