{"id":1996103,"date":"2023-08-09T22:08:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T02:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massachusetts-blocks-catholic-couple-from-fostering-kids-over-gender-sexuality-beliefs-lawsuit-says\/"},"modified":"2023-08-09T22:09:52","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T02:09:52","slug":"massachusetts-blocks-catholic-couple-from-fostering-kids-over-gender-sexuality-beliefs-lawsuit-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massachusetts-blocks-catholic-couple-from-fostering-kids-over-gender-sexuality-beliefs-lawsuit-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts bars Catholic couple from fostering due to gender, sexuality beliefs, lawsuit claims."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmassachusetts-blocks-catholic-couple-from-fostering-kids-over-gender-sexuality-beliefs-lawsuit-says%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1996103&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A \u2064Catholic Couple in Massachusetts Denied Foster Care Application Due to Their Beliefs<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>A Catholic couple \u2064in Massachusetts claims the state has banned them from \u2062fostering children over their views\u2064 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/gender\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gender<\/a> \u2063 and sexuality.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Mike and Catherine \u201cKitty\u201d Burke filed a federal <a href=\"https:\/\/becketnewsite.s3.amazonaws.com\/20230808154524\/Burke-Complaint-and-Exhibits.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lawsuit<\/a> on Tuesday alleging\u2062 that \u200dMassachusetts barred them\u2063 from\u200d fostering children \u2062in\u200b the state\u200b because they follow \u2064the Catholic teachings on gender, sexuality, and marriage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter months\u2062 of interviews and \u2063training, and after years\u2063 of heartbreak, we were on the verge of\u200d finally becoming\u2064 parents,\u201d the couple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/massachusetts-bans-catholic-couple-fostering-children-due-to-beliefs-gender-sexuality-lawsuit-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> in a statement. \u201cWe were absolutely devastated to learn that\u2062 Massachusetts\u2062 would rather children\u2063 sleep in the hallways of hospitals\u2063 than \u200clet us welcome children\u200b in need into \u2062our home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The state gave just\u200c one reason for\u2062 denying their foster care application, the Burkes said, namely that the couple\u2062 \u201cwould\u200b not be affirming to a \u2064child who identified as LGBTQIA.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>In the\u2064 denial letter \u200cfrom the state, which is\u200d included in the \u200blawsuit, the \u200cstate said that in order to be licensed as a \u2064foster or adoptive parent, the applicant must demonstrate \u201cto the satisfaction of the Department\u201d the ability to\u200b \u201cpromote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of\u2063 a child placed\u2064 in his or her care, including supporting and respecting a child\u2019s sexual orientation or gender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The foster or adoptive parent must also\u200d demonstrate they are \u200cable to \u2062\u201crespect and \u2062make efforts to \u2062support the integrity of\u2063 a child\u2019s racial, ethnic, \u2062linguistic, cultural and religious\u200c background,\u201d the\u2062 letter \u200csays.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The couple said they were open to fostering children with significant medical, mental health, or behavioral needs, according to \u2063documents included in the lawsuit. They were also open to maintaining connections with a child\u2019s birth family and both have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/companies-lack-targets-for-employee-mental-health-study-shows\/\" title=\"Companies lack targets for employee mental health, study shows\">good mental health<\/a> \u2063themselves, according to the documents.<\/p>\n<p>However, their application was still denied. \u200bThe \u201cissue \u2063of concern\u201d was \u2063the couple\u2019s statements around\u2062 the placement of LGBT children, according \u2064to court documents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs faithful \u2063Catholics, the\u200c Burkes believe that all children should be loved and supported, and they would never reject a child placed in their home. They \u200dalso believe that \u200bchildren should not undergo procedures that attempt to change their God-given sex, and they uphold Catholic beliefs about marriage and sexuality,\u201d\u2064 the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n<p>With\u200b their lawsuit, the couple is seeking \u200bto have their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/massachusetts-blocks-catholic-couple-from-fostering-kids-over-gender-sexuality-beliefs-lawsuit-says\/\" title=\"Massachusetts bars Catholic couple from fostering due to gender, sexuality beliefs, lawsuit claims.\">foster parent\u2062 application \u2064granted<\/a> as well \u2063as ban Massachusetts from using LGBT accommodations to decline foster \u200clicenses to religious applicants.<\/p>\n<p>The suit is also \u200dseeking \u201cnominal\u2063 and compensatory damages\u201d for \u2062the Burkes.<\/p>\n<p><b data-stringify-type=\"bold\"><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The couple \u2064is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.becketlaw.org\/case\/burke-v-walsh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">represented<\/a> by\u2063 Becket \u200dLaw, a religious \u2062liberty <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-begged-family-member-to-watch-yourself-in-business-dealings-report\/\" title=\"Biden Begged Family Member To \u2018Watch Yourself\u2019 In Business Dealings: Report\">law group<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHundreds \u2062of\u2063 children in the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">foster care system<\/a> need homes, and religious parents\u200b like Mike\u2062 and Kitty Burke are\u200d ready to open their hearts and \u2062homes,\u201d Becket Law said in a Tuesday press release \u200don\u2062 the case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFederal law protects the ability of religious people and organizations to foster children in need\u2063 without having to\u2063 forfeit \u200btheir beliefs,\u201d the law group said.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first time religion has entered the discussion around who should be allowed to \u2062adopt or foster\u200b children.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, \u200dthe Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/06\/17\/supreme-court-sides-with-catholic-adoption-agency-that-refuses-to-work-with-lgbt-couples.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sided<\/a> with a Catholic adoption agency that did \u200bnot allow same-sex \u200dcouples to foster children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Massachusetts Catholic couple is suing the state for allegedly prohibiting them from fostering children due to their adherence to Catholic teachings on gender, sexuality, and marriage. Mike and Catherine Burke filed a federal lawsuit, claiming they were banned from fostering based on their religious beliefs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":1996104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1996103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1996103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1996104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1996103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1996103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1996103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}