Bills aimed at curtailing LGBT rights have been derailed in the deeply conservative Oklahoma Legislature in recent years as many Republicans grew weary of voting on measures that allow for discrimination against gay people.
But in a shift, the Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that won't place children in LGBT homes. A similar measure passed Thursday in Kansas. In both cases, the bills were approved despite resistance from gay rights advocates and opposition from an industry group representing major tech companies, including Microsoft and Google.
If they become law, the bills aren't expected to change current adoption practices in either state. Some faith-based agencies already do not allow gay couples to adopt. But the measures would provide legal protections to agencies that do.