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Gay news: Society was the last of its kind to continue to resist the legislation
Catholic Care: allowed to discriminate
Catholic adoption society wins exemption over gay parents
A Catholic adoption society today won the right in the High Court not to consider same-sex couples as parents.
Mr Justice Briggs allowed Catholic Care's appeal for an exemption under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, which means it can continue operating as it has in the past.
Catholic Care's attempt to take advantage of a clause in the regulations which allows charities to discriminate by amending their charitable objectives had been opposed by the Charity Commission, which was ordered to reconsider by the court today.
The society, serving the dioceses of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Hallam in South Yorkshire, had warned it would give up its work of finding homes and adoptive parents for children rather than comply with the legislation.
It was the last of the adoption societies to continue to resist the legislation.
Some formerly Catholic agencies are breaking their formal links with the Church in order to comply and others are abandoning work with new adoptions.
The verdict was welcomed by the Bishop of Leeds, the Right Rev Arthur Roche, who said:
"Our case has not been brought on an anti-gay agenda of any sort. We respect, and would not want to diminish, the dignity of any person.
"The judgement today will help in our determination to continue to provide this valuable service to benefit children, families and communities."
But the judgement was condemned by Stonewall's head of external affairs, Jonathan Finney, who said:
"It's unthinkable that anyone engaged in delivering any kind of public or publicly funded service should be given licence to pick and choose service users on the basis of individual prejudice.
"It's clearly in the best interests of children in care to encourage as wide a pool of potential adopters as possible.
"There should be no question of discriminatory behaviour by any organisation that benefits from the taxpayer."
