As is our tradition in June, we are awaiting a potentially huge decision from the US Supreme Court— Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. The Court heard oral arguments on November 4, 2020, and a decision is likely to be made by the end of the court’s current term in June 2021—any day now.

While the specifics of the Fulton case involve foster care services and LGBTQ prospective parents, the stakes in the case are much broader. A loss could result in taxpayer-funded child welfare services agencies having a right to discriminate against children in government care when providing foster care services on behalf of cities or states using taxpayer dollars. And such a license to discriminate could go far beyond foster care services. A ruling in this case for Catholic Social Services could also apply to food banks, homeless shelters, disaster relief services and other taxpayer-funded services—creating a broad license to discriminate. 

With the decision expected any day now, be sure you’re subscribed to Georgia Equality’s Action Alert Network, and following along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so we can get you the news as soon as we know it. 

On the day the decision is released, Georgia Equality will host a press conference at NOON to provide an early legal analysis, and a community downhill that evening. More details to come via email.

Fulton v. City of Philadelphia Summary:

In March 2018, the city of Philadelphia learned that two of the agencies it hired to provide foster care services to children in the city’s care would not, based on their religious objection, accept same-sex couples as foster parents. Philadelphia informed the agencies that it would no longer refer children to them unless they agreed to comply with nondiscrimination requirements that are part of all foster care agency contracts. One of the agencies agreed to do so. The other, Catholic Social Services (CSS), sued the city, claiming the Constitution gives it the right to opt out of the nondiscrimination requirement.