Today, the Michigan state House passed several bills that would allow faith-based adoption agencies to refuse potential parents if the adoption would violate the agency's religious beliefs. The bills are meant to allow faith-based adoption agencies to refuse adoptions to LGBT couples trying to become adoptive parents. The legislation is now one step closer to becoming law and will be sent to the Michigan Senate for approval. 

Representatives voted for or against the bills mainly by party, with Republicans voting for and Democrats voting against. But in the Republican-controlled state House, this meant the bill passed. Republicans want the bill to prevent faith-based adoption agencies from receiving penalties, such as less state funding, if they refuse to adopt to same-sex couples. They argue that the faith-based agencies will refer LGBT couples to other agencies that will adopt to them.

Democrats argued against the bill, crying out against the clear anti-LGBT discriminatory intent of the legislation and the fact that making it more difficult for LGBT parents to adopt is terrible when there are thousands of children in Michigan waiting to be adopted.

The bill is one of many currently being proposed and passing through state legislatures across the country that would enshrine anti-LGBT discrimination into state law.