In Vermont, a grave injustice is unfolding that cuts to the very core of religious freedom and parental rights. Several Christian families, exemplars in the foster care community, find themselves ousted from Vermont’s foster system, not for a lack of compassion or capability, but purely because of their Christian convictions on gender and sexuality. This disturbing action is detailed in a lawsuit filed by the Wuoti and Gantt families against the Vermont Department for Children and Families, shedding light on a troubling trend of discrimination against deeply held religious beliefs.
The lawsuit, a necessary response to an overtly discriminatory practice, highlights a glaring issue within our state: the imposition of a progressive agenda that tramples on the rights to free speech, free association, and religious exercise as protected by the First Amendment, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantees of due process and equal protection. This isn’t merely a bureaucratic overstep; it’s a deliberate and unconstitutional purge of Christian influence from public life, particularly where it concerns the upbringing and care of children.
The Vermont Department for Children and Families has effectively declared these families unfit for fostering or adopting solely due to their “religiously inspired and widely held belief that girls cannot become boys or vice versa.” It’s a chilling mandate that one must conform to state-sanctioned views on gender, even if these views starkly contradict one’s moral and religious principles. The demand that these foster parents must celebrate and promote ideologies they do not agree with – such as taking a child to a Pride parade or using biologically inaccurate pronouns – is not just intolerant; it’s coercive and reflects a disdain for Christian values.
This ideological purge places politics above the welfare of children who need stable, loving homes. Vermont’s actions are not just harmful and unnecessary; they are a blatant violation of constitutional rights. The state’s insistence on conformity in these deeply personal areas of belief reveals a broader strategy to marginalize and silence Christian voices, suggesting that traditional values have no place in public life, even in matters as critical as child care.
We find ourselves at a pivotal moment not just for our state, but for the country. As the Biden administration seeks to nationalize these restrictive and intrusive policies on foster care, it is crucial for conservatives and Christians not just in Vermont but across America to stand firm. We must defend our rights to live out our faith and raise the next generation according to our values. The courage displayed by the Wuoti and Gantt families in challenging this overreach should serve as a rallying cry. Their fight is our fight.
