Christian British Docs Want Exemption From New Rules On Gay Adoptions

In Britain, it is not only Catholic social service agencies that are seeking an exemption from new regulations under the Equality Act-- scheduled to take effect in April-- that prohibit discrimination against gay and lesbian couples who wish to adopt a child. (See prior posting.) Christian Today reports that a Christian doctor who is a medical advisor to a local adoption agency has asked the government to give physicians an opt-out on moral grounds when they are asked to provide a reference to gay couples seeking to adopt. Dr. John Lockley from Bedfordshire says that physicians are often called upon to conduct medical exams of potential adoptive parents and to give a recommendation as to their suitability as adoptive parents. He says that without an exemption, he could be subject to disciplinary action by the adoption agency, or even by the General Medical Council, if he refuses on conscientious grounds to give positive references for same-sex couples.