LGBTQ+ community opposes bill it says would stop same-sex couples from adopting

By The Star Staff

The LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico has officially opposed a bill that it says would permit faith-based organizations to discriminate against same-sex couples seeking to adopt.

“Representative Jorge Navarro has once again introduced an unnecessary and clearly unconstitutional measure,” stated Pedro Julio Serrano, president of the LGBTQ+ Federation. “Instead of addressing the country’s pressing issues, he aims to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples. This approach is bordering on cruelty.”

LGBTQ+ Federation Director Dr. Carmen Milagros Vélez Vega added: “We will fight against this discriminatory measure. If my wife and I had to struggle for years to achieve adoption, we are prepared to do it again for all LGBTQ+ couples looking to create a family.”

In 2015, Vélez Vega and her wife, Dr. Angeles Acosta, became the first LGBTQ+ couple to have their right to adopt recognized by the court.

“This measure seems designed to appeal to fundamentalist voters,” the federation’s representatives said in a written statement. “It does not address any urgent problems; instead, it seeks to further violate the rights of LGBTQ+ couples who wish to build families and undermines the well-being of minors who deserve a loving, accepting, and respectful home.”