Bill Lee, was widely condemned by members of the LGBTQ community for providing legal protections to agencies that reject foster care or adoption applications from same-sex homes. “The governor believes that protection of rights is important, especially religious liberty," the governor’s spokesman Gillum Ferguson told the Tennessean. This comes after the Trump administration proposed a new rule in November that would allow faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to continue receiving federal money even if they turn away same-sex couples on the basis of the agencies' religious beliefs. An online petition launched Jan. 15 titled "This Anti LGBTQ+ anti adoption law needs to be repealed. "This law prevents the state from discriminating against faith-based organizations as they serve and meet the needs of children.

Source: Fox News January 26, 2020 16:14 UTC