This week, the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the Equality Act, H.R. 5, with the expectation that it will be considered by the whole House soon. The Equality Act was originally introduced in 1974 but was made popular in 2015 when former President Barack Obama announced his support for the legislation. The bill was crafted to protect individuals on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), but does not protect those who disagree with these lifestyles. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was quick to make an emotional appeal in support of this bill by saying, “Everyone should have a fair chance to earn a living and provide a home for their families without fear of harassment or discrimination.” Of course, any American would want this type of freedom, however, this legislation does the exact opposite.
The Equality Act is crafted to only protect those identifying as homosexual. Americans have been told that the United States has a large LGBT population, however, this group only makes up 4.5% of our nation. Under the Constitution, the LGBT population has the same rights as you and I, but this legislation creates additional protections that undercut our privacy and religious freedom. For example, H.R. 5 includes language that grants any LGBT person full access to any bathroom or shower even in public education settings. A rejection of this policy could result in the federal government fining or jailing those individuals or pulling federal funds from public schools.
The Equality Act also has the potential to threaten religious liberty. Small business owners in case after case have been taken to court and attacked over their refusal to provide a service that violated their religious beliefs. These business owners and all Americans should be able to live without fear of harassment, a freedom that should not be reserved for only the LGBT population. The word “equality” has been warped to create a culture that caters to one group of people, and in this case, that group is the LGBT community. Ask your Representative to vote NO on H.R. 5 and to stand up for the rights of all, not just a select few.