Oregon woman is granted the right to encourage and accept even after refusal to comply with the law of the state protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ children.
Jessica Bates of Malheur County, widow and mother of five biological children, applied to become foster parents through the Oregon Human Services Division in 2023, claiming that God (Christian) sent her a message to adopt more children. Bates was disqualified when he said he did not follow a state policy protecting the well -being of children, which requires foster parents to approve the identity of LGBTQ+ young people in their care.
Bates sues the state that it seemed to violate its religious faith by losing its original case. She then appealed the Court of Appeal of the Ninth Circle, which ruled 2-1 in her favor on Thursday. The case will now be sent back to the District Court, with the Court of Appeal ordering the judge to review the case with “strict control” – a form of judicial control used to evaluate the constitutionality of laws, which usually ends in court, reducing the law.
Judge Richard Clifton, appointed to George W. Bush, was the lone vote against. He argues in his disagreement that the case involves the treatment of Bates’ children, not her religious beliefs.
“Oregon has come to the conclusion that the children for whom he or she is responsible should be placed only with adults who promise to respect the sex identity of the child, since the child ages and develops such an identity.
The judge referred to Bates’ allegations that she would not use the name or pronouns chosen by a child, nor would she allow them to dress as they would like. She claims that she will not take them to a doctor for the treatment of gender dysphoria and said in an interview with KGW that if a child goes out to her as a LGBTQ+, she “will remind them of Christ.”
More than 30 percent of young people in foster care are identified as LGBTQ+ and five percent as transsexual, according to a 2019 study of children, compared to 11.2 percent and 1.17 percent of non -foster care young people.
“The only restriction imposed by the state in refusal to approve her request to encourage a child refers to her attitude towards the child, not what she personally believes, how she speaks to the world or how she practices her faith,” continued Clifton. “Oregon should be allowed to put the best interests of the child, for whom it is responsible for the decision to decide to put one of their children in custody of a receiver receiver.”
Bates is represented by the so -called Freedom Union, a group called the “Christian Legal Army” by its founder, which has a long history of opposing the protection of civil rights for LGBTQ+ people and is named by the South Center for Poverty as a hate group.
The group, who believes that the “homosexual program” will destroy society, has played a major role in several cases involving access to abortions and LGBTQ+ rights, including the Supreme Court case Dobbs against Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization, which cancels the right to abortion on a national scale as well Cakeshop masterpiece vs Colorado and 303 Creative, Inc. against Eleniswhich confirms discrimination against LGBTQ+ customers based on religious views.
“Parents are not expected to entrust their children to careful care, who voluntarily participates that they will not respect the child’s self -determination identity, if this is something that the parents have decided is important,” he concluded. “Oregon should not be powerless to protect the children for whom he bears parental responsibility and for whom he has decided to give respect.”
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Anti-LGBTQ+ MOM in Oregon wins to properly adopt LGBTQ+ KIDS