Christian summer camp sues Colorado over new transgender rule

A Christian summer camp that has operated in Colorado for decades is suing the state over new state licensing requirements that the camp says violate its religious beliefs on gender and sexuality.

Camp IdRaHaJe, which derives its name from the hymn, "I’d Rather Have Jesus," is a Christian children’s summer camp for kids ages 6 to 17. The camp has served Colorado families of all faiths and backgrounds since 1948 and welcomes 2,500 to 3,000 campers each year.

Camp IdRaHaJe filed a complaint in federal court on May 12 challenging new state licensing rules issued by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood that allegedly require children’s resident camps to permit campers access to bathing, dressing and sleeping facilities that align with the camper's gender identity.

The camp first tried to get a religious exemption, but the department denied their request, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal group representing Camp IdRaHaJe in court.

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ADF claims that the regulations put children at risk and violate the free exercise, establishment, and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

"Every child deserves respect of privacy," ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker told Fox News Digital, adding, "But that respect of privacy must extend equally to all students. No one should be forced to share a room or showering facilities with someone of the opposite sex."

"The law ignores reality and children are the ones who ultimately pay the price," he continued.

Tucker explained that new rules require the Christian camp to abandon its "own faith and mission" in order to continue operating in Colorado.

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"The state of Colorado has been quite hostile to people of faith over the past several years," Tucker said, referencing other religious liberty lawsuits against the state which have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

"In particular, they're trying to ram down this gender ideology to everyone in the state," he said.

The complaint states that families choose to send their kids to IdRaHaJe because of its Christian "policies, programs and education," and that families must agree to follow its policies on sex-specific facilities at registration.

Under the new state policy, the camp must choose between upholding its religious beliefs and mission or abandoning these in order to keep its license and continue operating the camp, according to the complaint.

In June, the camp must certify it is complying with all the resident camp regulations and a licensing specialist will also be visiting to inspect the camp to see if it is in compliance, according to the complaint.

Camp IdRaHaJe has decided to continue operating under its current policies even though this risks fines and the loss of its license to operate.

ADF says other children’s resident camps are also expressing concerns about the new state licensing requirements.

The legal group is asking the court to declare that these regulations on gender identity are unconstitutional.

"The government has no place telling religious summer camps that it’s ‘lights out’ for upholding their religious beliefs about human sexuality," ADF legal counsel Andrea Dill also said in a statement. "Camp IdRaHaJe exists to present the truth of the Gospel to children who are building character and lifelong memories. But the Colorado government is putting its dangerous agenda—that is losing popularity across the globe—ahead of its kids. We are urging the court to allow IdRaHaJe to operate as it has for over 75 years: as a Christian summer camp that accepts all campers without fear of being punished for its beliefs."

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that it "has not planned for or taken any enforcement action against IdRaHaJe related to the licensing regulations raised in the complaint."

"Further, the department is currently unaware of any reason that would prevent the camp from opening to campers this summer," the statement continued. "If any licensed child care provider—including a camp—seeks a waiver of specific licensing regulations, there is a formal process for requesting a waiver and organizations are welcome to apply. The department evaluates all waiver requests to determine whether granting the request is consistent with the law. IdRaHaJe has not submitted a formal waiver request, and the department is prepared to consider one, should it be submitted, following standard procedures outlined in law."

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There have been several other high-profile religious liberty cases against the state in recent years that have been heard before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2018, the high court ruled in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who was punished by the state after he refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

In another landmark case before the court in 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that Colorado’s anti-discrimination law cannot force a graphic designer to make wedding websites for same-sex marriages.