November 18, 2014
Kansas City Homeless Shelter Won't House Gay Couples
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The City Union Mission in Kansas City says it will not allow legally married same-sex couples who are homeless to stay at the shelter.
Executive director Dan Doty says shelter officials believe that the Bible prohibits same-sex marriage. He says married same-sex couples will be referred to other shelters.
The Kansas City Star reports the mission is a private nonprofit that receives no governmental funding, meaning it is not bound by anti-discrimination rules. Officials at the Topeka Rescue Mission say they haven't decided if the couples will be allowed to stay.
But other Kansas City-area shelters say same-sex married couples already are welcome to stay. That includes Salvation Army shelters in Kansas and Missouri, Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph shelters and the Lawrence Community Shelter.
