Australian Christian Lobby denounces legislation, although faith-based adoption agencies retain the right to refuse same-sex adoptions

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Same-sex couples in Victoria have won the right to adopt children but faith-based adoption agencies have retained the right to refuse same-sex adoptions.

The government’s same-sex adoption bill passed the upper house 31 to 8 on Thursday night with amendments allowing religious exemption.

The bill will now return to the lower house.

Greens MP Sue Pennicuik welcomed the passage of the law.

Victoria moves to give same-sex couples equal adoption rights Read more

“It’s a great day. It’s taken years of campaigning to achieve equality for sex couples and their children,” she said in a statement.

But the Victorian director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Dan Flynn, decried the passage of legislation “trampling the rights of children to a mother and father figure”.

He criticised the banning of anti-abortion protests or vigils from within 150 metres of abortion clinics as heavy handed but welcomed the retention of faith-based adoption agencies’ right to reject same-sex adoptions.

“CatholicCare adoption has survived a significant government attack and will be able to continue to prefer to adopt children to a mother and father rather than a same-sex couple,” Flynn said in a statement.

He said the 150-metre exclusion zone should be reduced to three metres so women were not denied information they needed “to make an informed choice”.