The Left has a litmus test to participate in their society. You must pass tests to make a living, lest you be subjected to cancellation due to the unhinged policing of woke mobs. And these protocols are enforced with authoritarian tenacity. It used to be contained in niche businesses, like weddings, where the cake wars worked their way to the Supreme Court not long ago. Being a gun owner now subjects certain Americans to intrusive searches by the FBI, with their personal banking information being handed over to the feds by banks.
The erosion of support for free speech, accelerating among liberals over the past decade, will breed a voter class that holds these opinions: that everyone must kowtow to their political views. The fact that we have the right to disagree is intolerant to the average progressive; their toxic self-righteousness cannot allow differing opinions.
The progressive Left’s non-official litmus test is now leeching into adoption and foster care policy, where a Massachusetts family had their fostering application denied over their Catholic faith (via WSJ):
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families’s decision to deny Michael and Kitty Burke’s foster-care application comes less than a decade after the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that states could not deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In a short but tart dissent, Justice Alito raised a red flag that Justice Anthony Kennedy, author of the majority opinion, glided over in his enthusiasm for making his own preferences law. Whatever this decision was, Justice Alito warned, Obergefell was not a victory for a live-and-let-live America.
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The Burkes are a loving couple who sought to adopt through the state’s foster-care program. Mr. Burke deployed to Iraq as a Marine, while Mrs. Burke is a former paraprofessional for kids with special needs. The stars seemed aligned for a fairy-tale ending for some lucky child.
The Burkes were willing to accept children of any race, culture or ethnicity, as well as some special needs. They would even take siblings. The state, in its assessment of the Burkes, acknowledged the family’s “strengths.” In the license study describing the family, the Massachusetts DCF noted that “Kitty and Mike are devoutly Roman Catholic and not only attend church with regular frequency, they both also work for local churches as musicians.”
Once upon a time that would be an endorsement. Today it’s an indictment. The Burkes were found unfit to be trusted with a child.
The author of their license study took care to note that the Burkes are “lovely people.” But with regard to LGBT issues, she also said “their faith is not supportive and neither are they.” Ultimately the license review team concluded the Burkes “would not be affirming to a child who identified as LGBTQIA” and the Burkes were rejected.
The couple was qualified but got rejected because they were Catholic, an eewie religion in the eyes of progressives. The Church is undoubtedly guilty of heinous crimes involving children, but the Burkes aren’t the Vatican. Nothing would be disqualifying except this couple’s faith, which is illegal. And yes, the Burkes have filed a lawsuit based on First Amendment grounds.
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