Colorado’s radical bureaucrats are forcing a 76-year-old Christian summer camp to choose between Biblical values and closing its doors because they refuse to let boys sleep in girls’ cabins.
At a Glance
- Camp IdRaHaJe in Colorado is suing the state over new licensing requirements forcing transgender accommodations that violate their religious beliefs
- The state denied the camp’s request for a religious exemption, effectively demanding they abandon Biblical teachings on binary gender
- The camp, operating since 1948, faces the impossible choice of compromising core Christian values or losing their license
- Alliance Defending Freedom filed a federal lawsuit citing First and Fourteenth Amendment violations
- This case represents a broader assault on religious freedom that could affect Christian ministries nationwide
Colorado’s Latest Attack on Religious Freedom
Colorado’s leftist bureaucrats have found yet another way to trample religious liberty in their relentless crusade to force radical gender ideology down everyone’s throat. Camp IdRaHaJe, a Christian summer camp that has faithfully served families since 1948, is now fighting for its very existence after the state effectively told them: accommodate transgender campers in opposite-sex facilities or shut down. This outrageous government overreach is exactly what happens when progressive ideology trumps constitutional rights, common sense, and parental authority – and it’s happening in real time in Colorado.
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood recently imposed new licensing requirements demanding that all camps, regardless of religious affiliation, provide facilities based on a camper’s gender identity rather than biological sex. When Camp IdRaHaJe requested a religious exemption based on their Biblical belief in binary gender, the state flatly denied it. Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here: unelected bureaucrats are telling Christian organizations they must violate their core religious convictions or face government punishment.
Parents and Camp Supporters Push Back
Families who have trusted this camp for generations are understandably outraged at the state’s heavy-handed tactics. Leah Rohwer, whose children have attended Camp IdRaHaJe, expressed the concerns shared by countless parents who selected this camp specifically for its Christian values and safe environment. This isn’t just about ideological differences – it’s about parental rights being steamrolled by government officials who think they know better than families about what values their children should be exposed to.
“They love it, They’ve gone since after the pandemic. They’re set to go this year.” – Leah Rohwer.
Rohwer highlighted the sweeping nature of these regulations, which leave no room for reasonable accommodations that might respect both religious beliefs and the dignity of all campers. The mandate covers virtually every aspect of camp life where biological differences have traditionally mattered for privacy and safety. The scope of the state’s demand reveals this isn’t about inclusion – it’s about forced ideological compliance at the expense of religious liberty.
“This regulation requires it for bunking, for bathing, for changing, for anywhere where they would be separated biologically.” – Leah Rohwer.
The Constitutional Battle Ahead
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has stepped in to fight this blatant assault on religious freedom, filing a federal lawsuit arguing that the state’s mandate violates both the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The case represents a critical battle in the ongoing war between religious liberty and progressive gender ideology. The outcome could set a precedent affecting Christian ministries across the country, as similar regulations are being pushed in blue states nationwide by activists who view traditional faith-based organizations as obstacles to their agenda.
“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.
This case starkly illustrates the impossible situation created when government overreach collides with deeply held religious convictions. Camp IdRaHaJe isn’t asking for special treatment – they’re simply fighting for the constitutional right to operate according to the same Biblical principles they’ve upheld for over seven decades. The camp’s supporters rightly point out that families specifically choose faith-based camps because they align with their values and beliefs, not in spite of them. Why should the government force religious organizations to abandon the very principles that define their mission?
“Camp is in jeopardy that they’re going to continue operating in what they believe is consistent with freedom of religion and what they should be allowed to do as a religious organization.” – Leah Rohwer.
