Adopting parents are obliged to address the child according to the pronouns of the gender he chooses and take him to the Pride parade, according to a lawsuit filed in the United States by a couple from the state of Washington. The reason: they believe that they were denied a foster parent license because of their Christian spirituality.

New state regulations require all parents to accept the government's gender ideology, and if they don't, their application will be denied, officials told the Washington state couple who have served as foster parents for nine years. So far, the DeGrosses have taken care of four children as foster parents, now they would have renewed their application, but it was rejected.

Because of the denied request, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit on March 25 on behalf of the couple, Shane and Jennifer DeGross, against Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) officials.

According to the ADF, the agency rejected the DeGrosses' request because they refused to address the children who came to them using pronouns contrary to their biological sex. The agency also allegedly required parents to take their children to "cultural" events in the spirit of gender ideology and the LGBTQ movement, such as

attend Pride parades.

As a Christian couple, however, the DeGrosses told the agency that while they love and accept all children, their Christian faith prevents them from lying to a child or encouraging them to reject their birth gender, contrary to their beliefs.

"We applied for training in the state foster care network to take care of widows and orphans in their distress as the Bible commands," Shane DeGross told Fox News Digital. "There is a great need for foster parents in Washington state to help children in need. “It has been widely publicized that there is such a shortage of homes offered by foster parents in the state that

In 2023, there were more than four thousand cases where children were placed in emergency accommodation, such as hotel rooms"

Jennifer DeGross added.

"It is unfortunate and disheartening when families like ours, who are willing to provide a loving home, are eliminated," said the woman, who also reported that many people face these new requirements when their relicensing becomes due, so they will also face with the moral constraint that they have to choose between further service to children and their Christian faith.

The news station adds that Washington state also acknowledged a serious shortage of foster homes in one of its draft reports on foster homes.

Jason Wettstein, director of communications for the Washington State Office of Children and Families, told Fox News, citing the agency's statement: "It is well documented that LGBTQIA+ children and youth have high rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, self-harm, and rate of eating disorders.

They are four times more likely to attempt suicide,

and they have suicidal thoughts or self-harm, like cisgender (the person whose gender identity and biological sex at birth are the same - ed.) or heterosexual youth."

The official justified the recent requirement for foster parents by saying that the adopted youths do not experience further trauma when they end up with foster parents.

ADF counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse explained that DeGross is far from the first time Washington officials have tried to prevent parents from taking care of their children because they disagree with state ideology.

In Blais v. Hunter, the Blais family sought custody of their great-grandson, but were denied because they did not support hormone therapy for a

in a hypothetical life situation, if the child were to suffer from so-called gender dysphoria.

In the case of the child in need of care, there was no question of wanting to identify with the opposite gender. Yet, the mere assumption of what the foster parents would do in such a case was enough to refuse placement.

Widmalm-Delphonse told Fox News, “Not only does this harm children, it also violates the First Amendment. This case is about freedom of speech and religion, as well as the welfare of children. Everyone wins here if we maximize the number of foster families and ensure that every child has a loving home, as this would help the children and also comply with the constitution.”

Source: hirado.hu

Photo: The Patriots Prayer W/Eddie Smith & Native Patriot / X