Same-sex adoption in the United Kingdom
Supporters of the move in Parliament stressed that adoption was not a "gay right", but one of providing as many children as possible with a stable family environment, rather than seeing them kept in care.Opponents raised doubts over the stability of relationships outside marriage, and how instability would impact on the welfare of adopted children.[1][2] The introduction of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations on 30 April 2007 was controversial and a dispute arose between the Government and the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales over exemptions for Catholic adoption agencies.[3] Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Birmingham declared his opposition to the legislation, saying that it contradicted the Catholic Church's "moral values".He supported efforts to have Catholic adoption agencies exempted from sexual orientation regulations, which were ultimately successful in a judgement given on 17 March 2010.