House Republicans Push Bill Aimed at Balancing LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom
(Worthy News) – House Republicans are rallying around a compromise bill that would add protections for religious organizations in addition to granting discrimination protections to LGBT citizens. The bill comes one day after House Democrats passed the Equality Act, which critics say infringes on religious liberty rights and is likely to fail in the Senate.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R., Utah) introduced the legislation Friday, intending to strike a middle ground between protecting religious freedom and LGBT rights. The bill codifies protections for LGBT individuals against discrimination in housing, employment, and other public accommodations while also including exemptions for religious institutions and employers that are not explicitly present in the Equality Act.
“Americans shouldn’t have to worry about losing their jobs or apartments because of who they are. By the same token, Americans shouldn’t have to worry about losing their jobs or their apartments because of their sincerely held religious beliefs,” Stewart said. “We have been too quick to label and dismiss each other over these issues. The right way out of this false dichotomy is to define protections for LGBT Americans and religious Americans in federal law.” [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]