Court strikes down pronoun, gender-care mandates on adoptive parents

The Ninth Circuit has overturned the Oregon District Court’s prior ruling in Bates v Pakseresht. Jessica Bates from Vale was denied to adopt children because of her unwillingness to take a young adopted child to get hormone injections or to a Pride parade. Deemed a violation of her First Amendment rights by the Ninth Circuit, this ruling appears to invalidate the State of Oregon’s policy to control parents’ authority in this specific area of upbringing.

The Court writes: “From using preferred pronouns to facilitating gender-related hormonal treatment, Oregon’s policy directs Bates to go against her religious commitments by its requirements of word and deed,” going on to say: “The state’s suggestion that Bates is not burdened because she can continue to hold her own religious views reflects an incomplete understanding of the Free Exercise Clause.” I don’t see the Oregon Department of Human Services getting a better ruling from an appeal to the Supreme Court, given the June decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of We were winning when I was there.