US adoption websites accused of gay discrimination cease trading in New York

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New York’s Attorney General has announced that an American adoption service provider has ceased trading in the state.

Adoption Media and Adoption Profiles were investigatd by the Attorney General for discriminatory policies, procedures and practices after a complaint from Lambda Legal, a gay civil rights organisation.

Lambda said that same-sex couples and unmarried individuals seeking to facilitate an adoption were being denied services.

Under the companies’ policies, only legally married different-sex couples qualify to adopt a child. All other persons are denied service.

Under the New York State Human Rights Law, it is illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or marital status in providing any service or convenience to the public.

New York law also explicitly prohibits adoption agencies from excluding same-sex couples or non-married couples from adopting children.

As a result of the investigation, Adoption Media and Adoption Profiles — which market themselves as servicing more than 1.5 million people per month — posted a notice on their website, www.adoption.com, stating that they will not provide their service in New York.

“New York Attorney General Cuomo has sent a clear message to all businesses that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation will not be tolerated,” said Flor Bermudez, Staff Attorney at Lambda Legal.

“Companies can’t come into New York and hang a sign on their door saying ‘Same-sex couples need not apply.'”

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