Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has joined 17 other attorneys general in blasting a proposed Biden Administration rule that could essentially ban conservative Christians and others who hold to traditional morality from serving as foster parents.

The letter, which was spearheaded by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshal, points out that the proposed rule violates a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court opinion against removing faith-based groups from public foster care systems if they do not abandon their religious beliefs regarding gender identity and sexual orientation.

The Biden administration’s proposed rule, however, would block families who are not on board with LGBTQ ideology from being able to care for foster children who claim to have a LGBTQ identity.

Proposed by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the new rule would mandate that foster families not “unreasonably limit or deny a child’s ability to express their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” nor attempt to help a gender-confused child live in accord with their biological sex.

Additionally, it would require state agencies that receive federal funding to “implement specific processes and requirements” to ensure LGBTQI+ children receive “services that are necessary to support their health and wellbeing.” This includes behavioral health supports, providing LGBTQ-identifying mentors, peers, and affinity groups.”

The letter signed by the Republican attorneys general warns that the rule would discriminate against religion and harm children by limiting the overall number of available foster homes, including family relatives who may hold traditional religious beliefs.

The letter goes on to state that the rule would “unconstitutionally burdens individuals and organizations of faith,” and would also force all-girl foster care homes to accept males who claim to be females.

This would create “potentially dangerous situations for children,” the letter states.

The rule is part of a wider movement among government social services agencies to exclude Christians and others who hold to traditional moral beliefs about human sexuality from being able to serve as foster parents.

States across the country are actively denying foster parents who are deemed unsupportive of a child’s confused belief that they have one or more LGBTQ identities.

Alaska already makes assessments of children based on whether they identify as LGBTQ, and attempts to place them in homes that will enable this belief and associated behaviors. State administrative code, however, explicitly states that foster parents “have a right to practice their religion and spiritual practices in their home as long as the religious and spiritual practices of the child’s birth family are also respected.”

TAKING ACTION

— Written comments and feedback on the foster rule proposal can be sent in until Nov. 27. Click here to comment.

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