National commentator and America’s Mom host Sherronna Bishop is raising concerns regarding free speech and parental rights following Colorado court proceedings connected to public discussions about a controversial custody-related matter originating in Western Colorado.
The matter gained attention following an interview broadcast on the America’s Mom program featuring parents Heather and Brett Fitzke, which addressed concerns regarding parental rights, youth gender identity issues, and community responses to those issues.
Following the broadcast, public criticism of Bishop and her program was issued online by Ashley Stahl, a transgender and activist who has publicly discussed advocacy efforts supporting transgender youth in local communities and appeared in national media conversations concerning gender transition and youth support.
Subsequently, court actions were filed in Garfield County, CO under Judge Amy Roth seeking restraining orders against Bishop that limit her ability to publicly discuss aspects of the situation.
Bishop asserts that the orders restrict commentary concerning matters she believes are of legitimate public concern, particularly regarding circumstances in which custody of a minor was altered through emergency legal proceedings initiated by private parties rather than through what Bishop describes as the more typical involvement of law enforcement or child protective authorities.
“To have your child taken by total strangers because you are a Christian and will not agree to the trans-gendering of your child is hard enough” said Bishop, “To be told by the court you cannot talk about it publicly is an outrage and unconstitutional.”