Oregon Mother Wins Fight Against Gender-Ideology Requirement for Adoption

An Oregon mother can pursue approval to adopt children from foster care without abandoning her religious beliefs about sex and gender identity. Alliance Defending Freedom announced on September 14 that state officials agreed to a court order protecting Jessica Bates' ability to apply after a legal fight that began in 2023.

Bates is a widowed mother of five who wanted to open her home to children in need. Her case raises a question every child-welfare agency should take seriously: why should a mother's belief that children should be helped to accept their sex prevent officials from considering the home she could provide?

A Child's Need for a Home Should Come First

Children in foster care need adults prepared to give them stability and sustained attention. The process of evaluating a prospective parent should examine the actual home and the person's ability to care for a child.

Religious conviction should not make that examination impossible. A parent may believe strongly that a boy remains a boy and a girl remains a girl while also being committed to treating a struggling child with patience and love. Child-welfare officials should be capable of recognizing that commitment and assessing a family fairly.

Oregon Turned Belief Into a Barrier

According to Bates' attorneys, Oregon rejected her application because she would not agree to certain expectations about affirming a child's gender identity. Her stated objections included facilitating puberty blockers or hormone shots for a hypothetical nine-year-old.

Those convictions concern how she would protect a child entrusted to her care. Government should not treat a willingness to facilitate childhood gender transition as a measure of whether someone can be a loving parent. That approach places an ideological requirement between children who need families and adults willing to raise them.

The Settlement Restores an Opportunity

The agreement permits Bates to seek a license while retaining her beliefs. It follows an earlier appellate ruling that allowed her challenge to continue and a preliminary injunction that Oregon has now agreed to make permanent, according to her attorneys.

The practical result is an opportunity for her application to be considered. That opportunity matters to a prospective parent who has spent years contesting her exclusion. It also matters to the children who could benefit from a suitable home. The state should assess her ability to provide that home through a fair process.

Missouri Should Welcome Families Willing to Care

Missouri should expect its child-welfare institutions to focus on finding safe, capable families for children. Adults willing to undertake the responsibilities of adoption deserve an honest assessment of what they can offer.

Her Health Her Future believes children should be protected from gender-transition interventions and supported by adults committed to their long-term well-being. Families who share that conviction should have an opportunity to serve children in need. Bates' case is a welcome reminder that government can be required to respect those families while carrying out its responsibility to protect children.

Link to story: Alliance Defending Freedom announcement of the Bates settlement

Link to story: Bates case record and document list