A Massachusetts couple has filed a lawsuit because they were allegedly subjected to discriminatory standards in their hope to become foster parents. Mike Burke, who served during the Iraq War, and his wife Kitty say that they met every requirement, but officials did not find their religious views on transgenderism and marriage “supportive.”
Becket, the non-profit legal group that is supporting the Burkes, put out the following statement.
When Mike and Kitty applied to become foster parents in 2022, they underwent hours of training, which they completed successfully. Their instructor reported their positive contributions in the class to DCF, noting that the couple helped to enrich the training program for other parents. The Burkes also underwent extensive interviews and a home study. Throughout this process, Mike and Kitty emphasized their willingness to foster children from diverse backgrounds and with special needs. They expressed their openness to fostering sibling groups, as well, so that children in need could maintain those critical family ties. In all respects, the Burkes were an ideal foster family.
During their home interviews, however, the Burkes were troubled that much of the questions centered on their Catholic views on sexual orientation, marriage, and gender dysphoria. In response to these questions, the Burkes emphasized that they would love and accept any child, no matter the child’s future sexual orientation or struggles with gender identity. However, because Mike and Kitty said they would continue to hold to their religious beliefs about gender and human sexuality, Massachusetts denied them a license to foster any child because, as the reviewer put it, “their faith is not supportive and neither are they.”
The only reason given for their denial was that they “would not be affirming to a child who identified as LGBTQIA.” Instead of simply not assigning them a child who “identifies” as such, the Burkes were denied completely from fostering any children.
The State of Massachusetts has a severe shortage of foster parents, with as many as 1,500 kids having no home at this moment. It’s safe to assume that the vast majority of those children do not “identify” as LGBTQIA, making the decision all the more indefensible.
Source: Red State
