Vermont: Christian families will be able to adopt children without endorsing gender ideology

Vermont has approved a change in its regulations that will allow Christian foster parents to care for minors without being required to endorse gender ideology.

LifeNews reported that the state's decision followed a lawsuit that effectively forced a reversal of the withdrawal of foster care licenses for families who hold traditional religious beliefs about sex and gender. The previous regulation made it difficult for Christian adoptive parents to adopt without compromising their convictions about the biological difference between boys and girls.

The new regulation states that families are no longer required to endorse specific identities or use language related to gender identity, sexual orientation or identity expression in order to obtain a license.

The end of an exclusionary policy

The Department for Children and Families (DCF) revised its guidelines, leading to a settlement in Wuoti v. Winters. As part of that settlement, Vermont overturned the revocations imposed on Pastor Brian Wuoti's family and Pastor Bryan Gantt's family, restoring their ability to act as foster and adoptive parents.

The Wuoti's stated they were "thankful that common sense won out and that Vermont has changed its policy to put children’s interests above divisive ideologies."

For their part, the Gantt family stated that their "focus throughout this case has been on the children who need stability and love above everything else."

Both families were represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), whose lead attorney, Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse, stated, "This is an incredible victory for children in Vermont’s foster-care system. No parent should be forced to lie to a vulnerable child about who they are, much less promote irreversible and life-altering procedures that don’t have any proven health benefits."