Washington state couple opposing preferred pronouns sues state for denying foster licenses

https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-couple-sues-state-for-denying-
foster-licenses-after-objection-to-pronouns-jennifer-and-shane-degross-
johannes-widmalm-delphonse-department-of-children-youth-and-families-
seattle-yakima-pasco-northwest#

TACOMA, Wash. (TND) — A Washington couple filed a lawsuit last week 
against Washington state officials who denied the pair foster care 
licenses for objecting to sexual and gender identity policies.

Jennifer and Shane DeGross opposed the Washington State Department of 
Children, Youth and Families guidelines requiring foster parents to be 
accepting of minors exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Washington state officials are putting their own ideological agenda ahead 
of children who just need a loving home,” the couple’s attorney, Johannes 
Widmalm-Delphonse, argued.
The DeGrosses alleged the department violated their First Amendment rights 
by forcing them to align with their foster children’s preferred pronouns, 
thereby forgoing religious beliefs.

“Despite the DeGrosses’ faithful service as foster parents for nine years, 
the state disqualified them simply for having views that Washington does 
not like,” Widmalm-Delphonse claimed. “Washington is putting families like 
the DeGrosses to an impossible choice: speak against your faith and lie or 
give up the opportunity to care for hurting children.”

The department told The National Desk it does not disqualify foster parent 
candidates for “sincerely held” religious beliefs. It would not, however, 
subject children to further "trauma" with unaccommodating families.

Whether a family accepts or rejects a child’s sexual orientation, gender 
identity or expression has a profound impact on their wellbeing,” a 
spokesperson noted. “In Washington, we are committed to ensuring that 
these vulnerable children and youth do not experience additional trauma 
when placed out-of-home into foster care.”
In claiming the guidelines were unconstitutional, the DeGrosses cited a 
district court ruling establishing the department’s policies as applying 
only to children who have already identified as LGBTQ+.

“As a federal court has already affirmed in Blais v. Hunter, this 
exclusion is unconstitutional – religious beliefs about human sexuality 
are not a legitimate or constitutional reason to categorically bar 
citizens from helping children,” Widmalm-Delphonse said.

The ruling also required prospective foster parents to care for the 
physical and emotional well-being of LGBTQ+ children, according to the 
department spokesperson.

"The permanent injunction does permit [the Department of Children Youth 
and Families] to take an applicant’s views on LGBTQ+ issues into account 
when reviewing foster family home license applications or family home 
study applications,” it noted.

PineTree010
29 March, 2024

Also violating everyone's of our freedom of speech.  Please foster family- 
go for it.  But not on religious grounds- we all have a US Constitutional 
right to freedom of speech.  That means that government can't make 
policies that tell us how to talk to or address other people. 


-- 
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem.  It has none.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.  
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden 
fiasco, President Trump.  

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed 
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.