On Friday, the House of Representatives voted to approve HR 5, otherwise known as the Equality Act. The Equality Act redefines sex as it relates to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, and the Religious Freedom Act of 1993. The legislation, which can be found here, redefines sex to include sexual identity, sexual orientation and gender identity.
There are several part of this bill that are bad in regards to both religious freedom and women’s rights. What’s interesting is that Democrats have hidden a lot of this bill behind the premise of women’s rights as it pertains to pregnancy and breast feeding. The bill includes protections for these classes, but combines them with the protections for the LGBTQ community. This combination is what a few of the Republicans cited as their reasons for supporting the legislation, but the reasons they give for support are poorly founded.
The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The new Equality Act will change this to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill specifically references the Religious Freedom act as well as public accommodations. In other words, no longer would a man be refused the ability to enter a woman’s restroom as he could simply state he identified as a woman. No longer could a church speak out against homosexuality, as it would be viewed the same as refusing entry to someone of a different color.
There’s been a lot of discussion over lost women’s sports and the inability to separate men and women’s sports if the act passes. While it most likely will effect women’s sports, the issue is much larger than simply sports as many would assert. Democrats would argue that this is simply fear mongering, but that is not the case.
The attacks of this “Equality Act” is far reaching into the norms of society and a direct attack on religious freedoms. Under this act, any man or woman, who identifies as the opposite gender, cannot be restricted from using the restroom of the gender in which they identify in a church. How does this act protect women and children when they cannot take care of simple bodily functions anywhere without fear of infiltration by mentally ill individuals? The issue extends far beyond the church, but also applies to restaurants, senior centers, stores, places of or establishments that provide entertainment, health care facilities, shelters, government offices, youth service providers (including adoption and foster care providers), and transportation.
Where is the line drawn in what is forced on someone? This is not the same as discrimination of someone based on their actual gender or color. Is it not a violation of my rights to force me to accept gender identity and sexual orientation when it is a direct violation against my religious beliefs? We have not established any protections due to the Quran stating to kill unbelievers. I should not have to worry about perverts going after my wife or children when they simply want to go to the restroom. I should not have to worry about my place of worship being stripped of our religious freedoms for refusing to compromise our beliefs.
This law is absolutely sickening and the Senate must strike it down for the absurdity that it is. Be sure to reach out to your Senator and let them know that they should vote against the Equality Act. In regards to Republican Representatives Susan Brooks (Ind.), Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) Will Hurd (Texas), John Katko (N.Y.), Tom Reed (N.Y.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Greg Walden (Ore.), who voted in support of this law, everyone should contact them about our disappointment in their vote which is truly against women’s rights and religious freedom.