9th Circuit rejects rule requiring foster parents to 'respect' LGBTQ children
Source: Law & Crime
Jul 25th, 2025, 2:03 pm
A federal appellate court has rejected an administrative rule in Oregon which bars individuals from serving as adoptive foster parents unless they commit to respecting a child's sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
In a 58-page opinion issued Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed a lower court ruling against Jessica Bates, a widowed, single mother of five, whose adoption application was denied due to her disagreement with the policy.
Oregon officials enforced the policy after Bates "objected to using adopted children's preferred pronouns or taking them to medical appointments for gender transitions," the appeals court explained. Bates sued and lost at the district court level – being denied injunctive relief by U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson, a Joe Biden appointee.
Now, in a 2-1 ruling on First Amendment grounds, the panel directed the district court to issue a preliminary injunction barring the Beaver State's Department of Human Services from using the rule in any determination of Bates' eligibility as an adoptive foster parent.
Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/restricts-and-compels-speech-9th-circuit-rejects-rule-requiring-foster-parents-to-respect-accept-and-support-a-childs-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/07/24/23-4169.pdf
= new reply since forum marked as read
Kids in foster care have it tough enough as it is. Now the adults have been given permission to treat them with intolerance and hatred.
Children in foster care are being abused and murdered by the very people who are supposed to keep them safe. This ruling is going to add to the number of children who are no longer with us. 
I am so angry and so heartbroken over this ruling.
Hopefully there's not some sort of strict fixed assignment system (FIFO or whatnot), so the simple solution of "so don't match them" should work. Seems like the agency hints to the child to show up looking as indiscreetly queer as possible, and dickhead parents just go 'yeah, no thanks'.
Small saving grace is these youth have mathematically good chance for a good outcome because only a small % of the population are such dicks as this lady.
If you're a youth who's biological parents are like this, OTOH? Not so much.
