A lesbian woman is suing the US Department of Health and Human Services after her adoption application was rejected because of her sexuality.
According to her lawsuit, which was filed on 13 October, Kelly Easter wanted to help unaccompanied refugee children by becoming a foster parent for them.
Easter was sent to Bethany Christian Services, a federally funded foster care agency with a history of rejecting applications from LGBTQ+ parents, who denied her initial application.
The policy of LGBTQ+ applicants being denied the chance to apply officially ended in March 2021, though after submitting a follow-up request she was once again rejected.
The lawsuit states that a representative for Bethany told Easter that the office in Nashville (where Easter lives and applied to) is a sub-grantee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) – a group that still does not accept LGBTQ+ candidates.
As such, Easter is taking legal action against the Department of Health and Human Services, as this is responsible for the Administration for Children and Families and its Office of Refugee Resettlement.
“By preventing children under their care and custody from being placed in homes of LGBTQ people based on USCCB’s religious beliefs, the Defendants — through USCCB and its subgrantees — not only discriminate against LGBTQ people, but also effectively disregard the non-Catholic identities and beliefs of many of the unaccompanied refugee children for whom they are responsible,” the lawsuit explains.
It continues: “This conduct potentially increases those children’s alienation and vulnerability, while denying them access to loving homes that could serve them best — all at federal taxpayers’ expense.”
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