The Equality Act, (H.R. 5), is landmark legislation focusing on the expansion of federal civil rights to prohibit LGBTQ and gender identity discrimination in public accommodations. On February 18, 2021, the Act was reintroduced in the 117th Congress. The House passed the Act by a vote of 224 to 206 on February 25, with support from three Republicans. The Bill has since moved on to the Senate for consideration.

Instead of respecting differences in beliefs about marriage and sexuality, the Equality Act discriminates against people of faith because of their religious convictions. If the Equality Act were to become law, it would strip away legal protections for religious institutions and faith-based organizations who serve the public. As written, the Equality Act provides few religious exemptions and therefore, broadens LGBTQ protections while simultaneously stripping away the long-held protections afforded faith-based communities by the First Amendment and the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Specifically, the Equality Act could:

1. Force religiously operated spaces and establishments such as church halls to either host functions that violate their beliefs or close their doors to their communities;
2. Force faith-based businesses and employers to amend their business practices, hiring practices and codes of conduct despite their religious doctrines and religious;
3. Force both people and organizations to speak or act in support of “gender transitions,” including health care workers and licensed counselors, even when it’s against their professional or moral judgment;
4. Force the downsizing and closure of faith-based charities such as shelters, daycare centers, and schools simply because of their beliefs on biblically based marriage and sexuality; and
5. Force religious institutions who choose to stand firm on their religious beliefs, rather than compromise, to face an onslaught of litigation in defense of their stance.

We therefore oppose this legislation and call upon our legislators to make no law which either infringes on religious freedom or makes it more difficult for individuals to live out their faith.