A community of nuns dedicated to the care of terminally ill patients has taken the State of New York to court to stop a law that, they denounce, forces them to act against their faith under threat of economic sanctions and even prison sentences. According to The Washington Times, the lawsuit has been filed by the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, an institution with more than a century of service.
The sisters, who provide free care to terminal cancer patients, challenge a state regulation that imposes the use of pronouns according to gender identity and the assignment of rooms and spaces according to that criterion.
A legal imposition that affects conscience
The law, approved in 2024 and enforced by the New York Department of Health, requires long-term care facilities to treat patients according to their gender identity, even in sensitive aspects such as housing or access to bathrooms, even if other residents object.
It also requires the mandatory use of pronouns chosen by the patients and the implementation of ideological training programs for staff. According to the lawsuit, the official materials promote environments that affirm certain sexual behaviors, including extramarital relationships, unless generally prohibited.
The nuns argue that complying with these demands would contradict essential principles of their faith and accept an anthropological view incompatible with the doctrine that guides their caregiving work.
High fines and risk of prison
Non-compliance with the regulation can result in fines of up to $2,000 for a first offense, $5,000 in case of recidivism, and up to $10,000 or one year in jail if considered a deliberate violation.
The law itself states that simply knowing the rule is enough for the infraction to be considered “willful,” which, in practice, places institutions before a direct dilemma between obeying or resisting.
A home for poor patients at the center of the conflict
The case affects Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed residence where the sisters provide free care to poor patients in their final days. Their mission, they explain, is to offer dignity, pain relief, and companionship in the final stage of life.
The general superior, Mother Marie Edward, has emphasized that they have always cared for people of all conditions without discrimination, but warns that applying this state mandate would force them to act against their conscience.
They denounce unequal treatment before the law
With the support of the Catholic Benefits Association, the plaintiffs also point out that the regulation contemplates exceptions for some religious denominations, but not for institutions like theirs.
After unsuccessfully requesting an exemption, they have resorted to a federal court alleging that the law violates fundamental rights such as religious freedom and equality before the law.