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

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.”

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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.

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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.

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