Senator Brad Hoylman Responds to Supreme Court Ruling in Fulton v. Philadelphia

NEW YORK -- Senator Brad Hoylman (Manhattan-D/WFP), chair of the NY Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Fulton v. Philadelphia, holding that the City of Philadelphia’s refusal to contract with Catholic Social Services for the provision of foster care services unless the organization agreed to certify same-sex couples as foster parents was unconstitutional under the Free Exercise Clause:

“Every child deserves to grow up in a warm and loving home. While this decision was limited and fact-specific, I’m disappointed that the result is one that helps uphold systemic homophobia and harms children. And it is a reminder that progress is not inevitable: it is only through the constant pressure of activists and organizers that we have won and maintained our rights. 

“While the Court did  not issue a broader ruling permitting discrimination against LGBTQ people by religious groups, their decision makes it clear they leave the door open to doing just that infuture cases. And if they accomplish that, openly gay families like my own would face even more obstacles to grow and support children in need.

“I’ll continue to fight tooth and nail against efforts to roll back legal protections for LGBTQ foster parents in the Empire State, and I urge Congress to pass the Equality Act and the Biden Administration to appoint pro-LGBTQ equality federal judges.”