Colorado pledges not to enforce gender identity rules for Christian children's camp after lawsuit

FIRST ON FOX—Colorado has formally agreed to exclude spiritual children's camps from the state's transgender accomodation licensing requirements aft a Christian campy filed a national lawsuit.

In a caller colony statement shared archetypal with Fox News Digital, the Colorado Department of Early Childhood said it would not unit Camp IdRaHaJe oregon different faith-based children's nonmigratory camps to follow caller sex individuality rules successful bid to support a authorities license. 

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) amended its authorities licensing rules successful February to incorporated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA). Under the caller rules, children's nonmigratory camps successful the authorities that are considered "places of nationalist accommodation" indispensable let campers entree to showers, sleeping and dressing facilities that align with the campers' sex identity. The section antecedently implemented sex individuality rules regarding bathrooms successful 2018.

Camp IdRaHaJe, which derives its sanction from the hymn, "I’d Rather Have Jesus," is simply a Christian children’s summer camp for kids ages 6 to 17 that has operated successful the authorities since 1948. 

A Christian campy successful Colorado sued the authorities implicit caller regulations requiring children's nonmigratory camps to instrumentality sex individuality requirements. (Camp IdRaHaJe)

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The campy filed a ineligible ailment in May aft allegedly being denied a petition for a spiritual exemption past year. It argued that the state's caller sex rules interruption its spiritual beliefs.

Last week, Colorado agreed to update the connection successful its licensing regulations, clarifying that "churches, synagogues, mosques oregon immoderate different spot that is principally utilized for spiritual purposes" are not considered "places of nationalist accommodation" and are frankincense not beholden to the sex individuality rules.

It besides agreed not to "cite, suspend its license, revoke its licence oregon different instrumentality enforcement action" against Camp IdRaHaJe based connected alleged noncompliance with these regulations.

"This is simply a large triumph for Camp IdRaHaJe, which is present protected from authorities enactment that would unit it to comply with extremist sex ideology policies that interruption its profoundly held spiritual beliefs," Alliance Defending Freedom elder counsel Ryan Tucker told Fox News Digital. "Thankfully, Colorado has besides rightfully clarified that organizations principally utilized for spiritual purposes are present exempt from the caller sex ideology rules."

Tucker, 1 of Camp IdRaHaJe's ineligible representatives, said the statement should supply "a suspiration of relief" for different spiritual camps successful the heavy bluish state.

A Christian summertime campy alleged Colorado's sex individuality regulations would unit it to wantonness its spiritual beliefs and workout successful bid to run the camp. (PeopleImages via Getty Images)

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Although it was "unfortunate that it took a national lawsuit" to lick the dispute, Camp IdRaHaJe is thrilled to enactment this down them and get backmost to "focusing connected the ngo they've been called to," helium added.

Guidelines connected the department's website were updated connected June 20 clarifying that churches and camps utilized for spiritual purposes are excluded from these sex regulations. A memo was besides sent retired reflecting this update arsenic good arsenic the pursuing statement:

"These rules were adopted for the sole intent of incorporating CADA into CDEC’s rules and bash not alter, modify, oregon supersede the requirements of CADA oregon its implementing regulations," the Colorado Department of Early Childhood said.

Christian Camp IdRaHaJe successful Bailey, Colorado, reached a colony statement with the Colorado Department of Early Childhod this month. (iStock/ Getty Images)

The section "has ne'er interpreted oregon enforced licensing rules to necessitate adherence to CADA and its accompanying rules unless a installation is simply a 'place of nationalist accommodation' and this memo serves to formally corroborate that interpretation," it continued.

"We are gladsome to enactment Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je’s knowing of their quality to supply a Christian campy acquisition to kids. The CDEC did not instrumentality immoderate enforcement enactment against Camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je related to immoderate of the licensing regulations raised successful the suit and the campy was ne'er nether a menace of closure," said Dr. Lisa Roy, CDEC enforcement director. 

ADF said it voluntarily dismissed its suit connected Tuesday.

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