WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth, released this statement in response to the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia:

“Today, LGBTQ families in Philadelphia are hurting, as the Supreme Court’s ruling allows for Catholic Charities to continue to discriminate against them. However, the Supreme Court had an opportunity to empower religious institutions nationwide to violate non-discrimination laws, and we are grateful they chose a narrower path. 

“Young people, LGBTQ families, and anyone who has ever needed the services of nonprofits or  government agencies should celebrate that the Supreme Court’s decision means that non-discrimination laws still apply to taxpayer-funded services. However, those non-discrimination laws must be enforced neutrally, and we are disappointed that because Philadelphia’s law was not neutral, thousands of children and teens in Philadelphia waiting to be adopted will have to wait even longer. We urge the city of Philadelphia to find a way to amend their law to be neutral so that LGBTQ families can be included in Catholic Charities’ services. 

“Today’s decision highlights the urgent need for Congress to protect LGBTQ families and individuals by passing the Equality Act as soon as possible, and to ban discrimination by child welfare agencies by passing the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. Young people will continue organizing and pressuring their lawmakers to do just that.

“Religious freedom should not be used to prevent young people from accessing the services they need or prevent LGBTQ people from starting families. The right to parent should not be subject to discrimination based on another’s ideology. Discrimination in any form—especially by those accepting taxpayer dollars—is unacceptable.”

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