Colorado officials deny Christian camp’s religious exemption from transgender facility mandate, setting up a fierce legal battle that could shut down the 75-year-old ministry serving thousands of children annually.
Key Takeaways
- Camp IdRaHaJe is suing Colorado over regulations requiring camps to allow children to use facilities matching their gender identity rather than biological sex.
- The Christian camp’s request for religious exemption was denied, forcing them to choose between violating their biblical beliefs or losing their operating license.
- Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit claiming First Amendment religious freedom violations.
- The camp has operated since 1948 and serves 2,500-3,000 children annually, ages 6-17.
- This case highlights the growing national tension between religious liberty and gender identity policies.
Colorado’s Gender Identity Mandate Threatens Christian Camp’s Future
A Christian summer camp that has served Colorado youth for over 75 years is fighting for its religious liberty against new state regulations that would force it to allow transgender-identifying campers to use facilities based on gender identity rather than biological sex. Camp IdRaHaJe in Bailey, Colorado, which welcomes 2,500 to 3,000 children aged 6 to 17 annually, has filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) after being denied a religious exemption from regulations that directly contradict the camp’s biblical beliefs about human sexuality and gender. The camp, whose name stands for “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” maintains that the state is unconstitutionally forcing it to choose between its religious mission and its ability to operate legally.
The conflict centers on new regulations passed by the Colorado General Assembly and signed by Governor Jared Polis that require camps to allow children to use sleeping quarters, bathrooms, and other private facilities consistent with their gender identity rather than their biological sex. For Camp IdRaHaJe, which has operated since 1948 and been licensed since 1995, these regulations create an impossible situation. The camp explicitly informs parents about its policy of separating campers by biological sex in cabins and facilities – a practice rooted in its doctrinal statement affirming that God created each person as either male or female, based on biblical teachings in Genesis and other scripture.
Christian summer camp sues Colorado over new transgender rule https://t.co/4Th4JNlG6x
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Religious Freedoms Clash With State Mandates
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys filed the lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, arguing that the state is violating the camp’s First Amendment right to religious freedom and Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection. The lawsuit comes after camp officials unsuccessfully sought a religious exemption from the CDEC, despite the fact that the department has granted other types of exemptions. This selective enforcement suggests potential religious discrimination, according to the camp’s legal representatives.
“The government has no place telling religious summer camps that it’s ‘lights out’ for upholding their religious beliefs about human sexuality. 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,” said Andrea Dill, ADF senior counsel.
The camp’s leadership emphasizes that they welcome all children, including those experiencing gender dysphoria, but cannot compromise on their religious conviction to separate sleeping quarters and bathroom facilities by biological sex. Without court intervention, the camp faces potential license revocation and financial penalties for adhering to its religious beliefs. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood has stated it will work with faith-based organizations within legal boundaries but declined to comment specifically on the pending litigation.
Growing National Debate Over Religious Freedom vs. Gender Ideology
This case represents just one battlefront in a larger national conflict between traditional religious values and progressive gender identity policies. For Camp IdRaHaJe, the consequences are immediate and existential. If forced to comply with the regulations, camp leaders believe they would be violating core religious principles that have guided their ministry for decades. The camp’s mission explicitly focuses on spreading the Gospel and building up believers through Christian teachings, making the gender identity requirements particularly problematic from a theological standpoint.
“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,” said Andrea Dill, ADF senior counsel.
The camp’s lawsuit further contends that the state is overstepping its boundaries by attempting to regulate religious expression and practice. Legal experts suggest this case could have significant implications for other religious organizations in Colorado and potentially nationwide, as it addresses fundamental questions about the limits of government authority over faith-based organizations. With the Trump administration’s renewed focus on religious liberty protections, this case may become an important test of how courts will balance competing interests of religious freedom against gender identity accommodations.
