Oregon Agrees Widowed Christian Mother Can Pursue Foster Adoption Without Affirming Gender Ideology
A federal judge entered a stipulated final judgment on September 9 closing out Bates v. Wendt, a three year lawsuit by Jessica Bates, a widowed mother of five in Oregon, against the state's Department of Human Services. Bates sued in 2023 after the department denied her application to foster or adopt additional children because she would not agree to use a child's preferred pronouns or support gender transition related care if doing so conflicted with her Christian beliefs. Under the judgment, Oregon agreed Bates may pursue foster care certification and adoption without being categorically excluded over those religious convictions.
"As a widowed mom of five, I was surprised to feel God nudging me to adopt," Bates said, adding that she is grateful for Alliance Defending Freedom's help. ADF senior counsel Johannes Widmalm Delphonse said every child deserves a loving home and that children suffer when the government excludes people of faith from foster care over its own ideological requirements. The ruling builds on an earlier Ninth Circuit decision in the case and could influence how other Western states structure foster care requirements around gender identity.
