Early in 2007, the UK Government introduced new laws to ban sexual orientation discrimination in the provision or sale of goods and services, including public services. The laws for Northern Ireland came into effect on 1st January 2007. The laws for the rest of the UK came into effect on 30th April 2007.

Some religious organisations campaigned to be allowed to continue to discriminate against LGB people. The new laws do allow religious organisations to discriminate, but not when the organisation is actually commercial in nature, or when the organisation is providing public services paid for with public money. However the Roman Catholic Church felt that this was not enough, and campaigned for its adoption agencies to be allowed to discriminate against same-sex couples wanting to adopt. There are two adoption agencies controlled by the Catholic Church in Scotland, and the services they provide are public services paid for with taxpayers' money.

The Equality Network wrote to MSPs and Scottish MPs explaining why we thought that the Catholic adoption agencies should not be allowed to discriminate. In the end, the law introduced bans discrimination by all public services paid for with public money, including the Catholic Church controlled adoption agencies, but those agencies have until 31st December 2008 to comply with the law.

Letter to Scottish MPs about discrimination by faith-based adoption agencies (28k)

Letter to MSPs about discrimination by faith-based adoption agencies (27k)