Susan's Place Transgender Resources

"God was speaking to her": Christian wins right to adopt kids & reject their LGBTQ+ identity

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/09/god-was-speaking-to-her-christian-wins-right-to-adopt-kids-reject-their-lgbtq-identity/

Alex Bollinger (29 Sep 2026)

A Christian conservative activist in Oregon who wanted to adopt children but refused to promise to affirm their identities if they turned out to be LGBTQ+ settled her religious freedom lawsuit with the state earlier this month. The settlement drops that barrier to becoming an adoptive parent, but it doesn't give her a license or place a child in her care.

Jessica Bates, a widowed mother of five, sued her state in 2023 after the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) denied her application to foster or adopt additional children because she refused to say that she would affirm the sexual orientation or gender identity of any child placed in her care.

"I cannot support this behavior in a child," Bates wrote in her application, referring to having an LGBTQ+ identity. "I have no problem loving them and accepting them as they are, but I would not encourage them in this behavior. I believe God gives us our gender/sex and it's not something we get to choose."

"I'm not gonna reject them or anything," she told KGW News last year when asked what she would do if a child in her care came out to her as transgender. She said she would refuse to use the child's name and pronouns and would force them to wear clothes associated with their sex assigned at birth. She said she would tell the kid: "Hey, God makes our identity, and that's something sacred and holy. And it might not feel like a gift right now, and you might be struggling with it, but that's something actually really special, and you are beautiful and perfect, like just how you are right now.'"
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@Sarah B

I don't have the words. By which I mean that I have the words, but I can't use them here.

Quote from: Jessica_Rose on Today at 08:44:10 AMI believe God gives us our gender/sex and it's not something we get to choose."

Quote from: Jessica_Rose on Today at 08:44:10 AM"Hey, God makes our identity, and that's something sacred and holy. And it might not feel like a gift right now, and you might be struggling with it, but that's something actually really special, and you are beautiful and perfect, like just how you are right now.'"

Quote from: Jessica_Rose on Today at 08:44:10 AMShe said she would refuse to use the child's name and pronouns and would force them to wear clothes associated with their sex assigned at birth.

"God gives us our gender."
"You are beautiful and perfect just like you are now."
But I "refuse to accept that," and I will force you otherwise.

Hypocrisy demonstrated.

I'm picturing a day in the future:

So how did you die?

My adopted kid pushed me down the stairs.

You must have been surprised.

Yes. By the way, St peter, I thought your robes were white?

My name is Lucifer.

This quote, "I believe God gives us our gender/sex and it's not something we get to choose." has never made sense to me in a world where intersex babies are born everyday.

Quote from: Jillian-TG on Today at 11:45:41 AMThis quote, "I believe God gives us our gender/sex and it's not something we get to choose." has never made sense to me

It totally makes sense to me.  "God" made me trans female.  I didn't choose it, He did.  No human has the right to decree what God's intention was for someone else.

Quote from: KathyLauren on Today at 01:19:29 PMIt totally makes sense to me.  "God" made me trans female.  I didn't choose it, He did.  No human has the right to decree what God's intention was for someone else.

Exactly. Who are humans to impose a label on a divine creation? Or impose a standard on what is acceptable? That is too far above our pay grade.