Legislature passes bill shielding Oklahoma parents who decline ‘transgender’ affirmation

Under legislation now awaiting Gov. Kevin Stitt’s signature, Oklahoma adoptive parents could not be required to embrace the transgender agenda in order to care for a child, and parents statewide could not be prosecuted for child abuse, neglect, or endangerment if they refuse to call a child by opposite-sex pronouns or otherwise “affirm” a child’s belief that they were born in the wrong body.

State Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, said the bill would ensure more families can serve as adoptive parents since many orthodox Christians reject the idea that men can become women and vice versa.

“We know that the faith community is particularly involved in this area, serving these children, and so we want to make sure that we’re not isolating them,” Thompson said.

She said the bill would also provide “children a safe and loving home regardless of what they’re struggling with.”

House Bill 3586, by state Rep. Erick Harris and Thompson, creates the “Right to Raise Act.”

The bill states, “No person shall be denied the opportunity to become an adoptive parent and the placement of a child for adoption shall not be denied nor delayed on the basis of the adoptive parent’s refusal, unwillingness, or lack of support to enable the child to engage in a gender transition.”

The legislation also states that “raising a juvenile consistent with the juvenile’s biological sex or referring to a juvenile consistent with the juvenile’s biological sex shall not constitute abuse under this act,” and also states that it cannot be considered “neglect” or “endangerment” to treat a male child as a male or a female child as a female.

Some Democratic lawmakers objected, arguing that those who hold traditional Christian views are unfit to serve as adoptive parents and are committing child abuse if they refuse to “affirm” a child’s belief that he or she is transgender.

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