The couple was turned away by a government-funded foster care agency because they, as a lesbian couple, did not meet the agency’s religious criteria, which excludes prospective foster parents who are not evangelical Protestant Christian or who are same-sex couples of any faith.
Lambda Legal, the ACLU, ACLU of South Carolina, and South Carolina Equality Coalition are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the state of South Carolina on behalf of a married lesbian couple, Eden Rogers and Brandy Welch, who were turned away by a government-funded foster care agency for failing to meet the agency’s religious criteria, which exclude prospective foster parents who are not evangelical Protestant Christian or who are same-sex couples of any faith.
Lambda Legal sent a letter to the Horry County School District today urging school officials to reverse their decision to suspend a transgender student and to adopt inclusive bathroom policies that respect the gender identities of its students and are in line with federal law, after news reports that a transgender student was suspended from Socastee High School for using the bathroom that matches his gender identity.
After receiving a letter from Lambda Legal, Chesnee High School Principal Thomas Ezell agreed to allow student Brianna Popour to wear a t-shirt bearing the message “Nobody Knows I’m A Lesbian.”