As an adoptive parent, I urge the  Board of Social Services to stand by thier original regulations, and not be bullied into revising adoption regulations to appease a small, but vocal homosexual lobby.  To appease this group and quell their threats of a lawsuit would be a real and dangerous afront to religious liberty and freedom of speech in the Commonwealth, as even private agencies would be required to place children in home situations that run counter to those agencies that value and adhere to traditional sexual/marital standards.   Not to mention that there is NO legalized "gay marriage" in Virginia, as DOMA was passed by a majority several years back.  Would the agencies then be required to place children in homes with co-habitating heterosexual couples?

Should these regulations be revised to apply to all agencies, public and private, the end result will be a loss of placements for children, as many of the private agencies will simply close.  A similar scenario occurred in Massachusetts several years ago when gay marriage was passed, forcing Catholic Charities to close it's doors.  An again in Aug. of this year LifeSiteNews.com reported that an Illinois judge ruled that the state could legally refuse to renew its foster care and adoption contacts with Catholic Charities over that agency's refusal to place children with homosexual couples.

The same thing can and will happen here if these regulations are changed.  Prospective adoptive parents and children needing a permanent home deserve better.