Washington D.C., Mar 17, 2021 / 16:00 pm
Opponents of the Equality Act warned Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that the legislation could have a far-reaching impact on religious organizations.
The House passed the Equality Act last month, a bill that would redefine sex discrimination in federal law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
The bill's supporters say it will prevent discrimination against Americans identifying as LGBT. Opponents - which include the U.S. bishops' conference (USCCB) - have said it would not only codify gender ideology in federal law, but would also "punish" religious organizations that object to the ideology.
The USCCB has called the bill "well-intentioned but ultimately misguided," saying that it frames gender as simply a "social construct." On their website, the bishops said every person has the right "to be free of unjust discrimination," the language of the bill "discriminates against people of faith and threatens unborn life."