Illinois State Sen David Koeler, one of the sponsors of the SSU bill said one thing when the impact of the bill on religious organizations was being debated before the vote:

Koehler: "The intent [of the SSU bill] is not to at all impede the rights religious organizations have to carry out their duties and religious activities."

But now gay rights groups are claiming another thing entirely:

"The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) ... called on the Republican leadership in the Illinois state Senate to drop Amendment 001 of Senate Bill 1123 ... [which] would also allow religious adoption agencies to refuse to place children with opposite-sex couples who have a civil union."

Log Cabin Republicans Illinois: "...organizations [such as religious adoption agencies] which are government subsidized should not be allowed to discriminate against the gay and lesbian tax payers who fund them."

Equality Illinois: "If an agency is not able to put the best interests of the child above all else, then it should not be providing adoption and foster care services, and it should certainly not get an exemption to accommodate its bigotry."

Why would they want to limit the number of good foster care agencies in the State of Illinois?

It's the "principle" of the thing that matters apparently a whole lot more than pluralism, or helping needy kids.