Should Christians be forced by law to abide by transgender ideology?
When Shane and Jennifer Degross filed to renew their foster care license, they were surprised to find new regulations that require foster parents to adhere to radical ideas of gender ideology that directly conflict with their Christian beliefs. The couple explained in their application that while they would wholeheartedly love and support any child in their care, they could not in good conscience do anything that would violate their religious principles, such as allowing a child to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
After nine years of faithfully fostering children in need, the Degross family was denied their foster care license solely because of their conservative, Christian principles. Despite multiple appeal attempts, the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) refused to reconsider, barring the family not only from fostering LGBT children, but any children at all – even toddlers who have yet to understand what gender is. The family filed a federal lawsuit against state officials for violating their First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion and free speech by using an “ideological litmus test” to exclude Christians from the foster care system.
DCYF’s new regulations force foster parents to “support a foster child’s SOGIE,” an acronym meaning “sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.” Practically speaking, this means foster parents are required to use the child’s “preferred pronouns” and “chosen name.” They must also “connect a foster child with resources that supports and affirms their needs regarding race, religion, culture, and SOGIE,” and help them attend “cultural events” such as pride parades. Other “SOGIE” supporting behavior includes, but is not limited to, displaying Pride flags within the home, having “LGBTQIA+ authors musicians and artists in your collections” and obtaining “affirming medical care” for the child.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time Washington officials have been caught violating the First Amendment in this exact same context,” Shane Degross noted.
It is unconscionable for Washington state to put the woke agenda and the hypothetical situation of gender dysphoric foster children above the very real and present needs of thousands of orphans in our state.
“Washington’s foster-care system services roughly 8,000 children, the majority 10 or younger. By discriminating against families such as the DeGrosses, the state is reducing the number of homes available to these children,” journalist Sierra Dawn McClain wrote. “According to a 2022 department report, Washington faces a ‘shortage of caregivers willing and able to be a respite or placement resource.’ Last year 358 children in Washington spent a combined total of 4,570 nights sleeping in hotels, offices or other temporary accommodations, according to public records. ‘Housing children in hotels and temporary facilities is disruptive for children and often traumatic,’ reports the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds. Yet officials would rather place children in hotels than with foster parents who don’t affirm the state’s sexual ideology.” (emphasis added)
It’s time for DCYF to get their priorities straight.
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