Oregon Lets Jessica Bates Reapply to Foster and Adopt After 2022 Gender-Identity Denial
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Oregon Lets Jessica Bates Reapply to Foster and Adopt After 2022 Gender-Identity Denial
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Summary
A settlement now lets Jessica Bates resume her bid to foster and adopt in Oregon after the state rejected her 2022 application over her refusal to affirm a child's gender transition.
Bates said officials expected her to use preferred pronouns, display pride flags and potentially take a child to hormone appointments—requirements she said conflicted with her Christian beliefs.
Alliance Defending Freedom sued in March 2023, lost in district court, then appealed; the 9th Circuit ruled in July 2025 that Bates could restart the adoption process while the case moved forward.
The dispute highlights a broader clash between state foster-care standards for LGBTQ+ youth and religious-liberty claims by prospective parents seeking access to adoption systems.