Mary Fallin of Oklahoma signed a bill on Friday that gay rights groups said would allow private adoption agencies to discriminate against L.G.B.T. couples on religious grounds when placing children. Supporters said it would ultimately help children by protecting the agencies that work to place them. Ms. Fallin, a Republican, said in a statement on Friday that the law did not ban same-sex adoption or foster care in Oklahoma. “Instead, the bill will help continue Oklahoma’s successful placement of children with a broad array of loving families and basically maintain the status quo by setting forth in statute practices which have successfully worked for the best interest of Oklahoma children,” she said.

Source: New York Times May 12, 2018 22:02 UTC