Because of their beliefs on gender and sexuality, a Catholic couple in Massachusetts is reportedly now alleging the state has prohibited them from acting as foster parents.
Mike and Catherine “Kitty” Burke claim in a federal lawsuit that Massachusetts has forbidden them from caring for children there because they adhere to Catholic teachings about marriage, gender, and sexuality.
The Burkes claimed that the state provided just one justification for rejecting their application for foster care, specifically that the couple would not provide affirmation to child who identified as LGBTQIA.
According to documents filed with the case, the pair stated they were willing to foster children with substantial medical, mental health, or behavioral concerns.
The records also state that they both have strong mental health and are willing to keeping in touch with a child’s biological family.
Their application was nevertheless turned down. According to court filings, the “issue of concern” was the couple’s remarks on the placement of LGBT children.
The couple is suing to get their foster parent application approved and to stop Massachusetts from using LGBT accommodations to deny foster licensing to applicants who identify as religious.
Religion has already been brought up in the debate over who should be eligible to adopt or foster children.
The Supreme Court supported a Catholic adoption agency in 2021 that prohibited same-sex couples from fostering children.
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