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Updated April 14, 2011: SB 1123 failed to make it out of committee.

Filed on Monday, April 11th, Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 1123 would permit religiously-based adoption agencies acting on behalf of the State of Illinois (and using STATE funds!) to discriminate against couples who have entered into a civil union and, as a consequence, place children at risk of being denied the best family placement for them.

The State of Illinois should not sanction and fund discrimination.

The Illinois Civil Union Act was only signed into law in January - and won't take effect until June 1st. But already the same forces that opposed basic fairness for lesbian and gay couples in Illinois are seeking to write discrimination into the law. This change not only discriminates against couples with civil unions, it threatens the well-being of some of our state’s most vulnerable children – those in need of permanent, safe homes. Surely, our leaders cannot permit the Civil Union bill to be twisted so that some can place their religious views over the interests of at-risk children.