A left-wing activist and minister has told Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) that refusing to abolish the filibuster is a “moral contradiction” to the senator’s Christian faith, claiming that the filibuster “is sinful.”
On Monday, Rev. William J. Barber II led 200 people in a protest dubbed the “Moral March on Manchin” outside the senator’s office in Charleston. There, they <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/letter-to-senator-manchin/">read</a> a “Letter to Senator Manchin from Moral and Religious Leaders,” which said Manchin’s support for the filibuster called into question his religious beliefs.
“As a public servant who professes a faith guided by love, justice, and mercy and who has sworn a public oath to support and defend the Constitution, your public statements about the filibuster are a moral contradiction,” the letter said. “The filibuster as it is currently being used is not just bad policy. It is sinful.”
The letter claims that “[t]he filibuster continues to block the very things our faith traditions proclaim to be just and right,” specifying only the failure to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour (thanks to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/bernie-sanders-minimum-wage-senate">eight Senate Democrats</a> siding with the chamber’s Republicans). That follows a <a href="https://twitter.com/revdrbarber/status/1382900304295890948">tweet</a> in April that says: “By supporting the filibuster, you are either an advocate or enabler of systemic racism, voter suppression, greed, the denial of health care, and the denial of living wages. We have been working with this political sin far too long!”
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By supporting the filibuster, you are either an advocate or enabler of systemic racism, voter suppression, greed, the denial of health care, and the denial of living wages. We have been working with this political sin far too long! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DontFilibusterDemocracy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DontFilibusterDemocracy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PoorPeoplesCampaign?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PoorPeoplesCampaign</a> <a href="https://t.co/lS70SYuOvq">pic.twitter.com/lS70SYuOvq</a>
&mdash; Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (@RevDrBarber) <a href="https://twitter.com/RevDrBarber/status/1382900304295890948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The reverend didn’t specify which verse of the Bible says, “Thou shalt not filibuster,” and he didn’t say whether the filibuster was immoral the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/democrats-used-filibuster-over-300-times-gop-once">327 times</a> Democrats used the filibuster in 2020 — let alone when they employed it to kill protections for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/26/democrats-have-vigorously-used-filibuster-its-pathetic-they-now-wont-pledge-protect-it/">babies born alive</a> during botched abortions.
But then Barber has a long history of twisting theology to fit his ideologically driven religious pronouncements.
<a href="http://influencewatch.org/person/rev-dr-william-j-bar%E2%80%A6">Barber</a>, the head of the Poor People’s Campaign, told his “Moral Monday” followers to march alongside Planned Parenthood to oppose a bill that would require abortion facilities to meet the <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/11/abortions-nc/2510783/">same health and safety standards</a> as any other surgical center. He worked with the nation’s largest abortion provider again in Alabama against a bill that would <a href="https://juicyecumenism.com/2019/05/30/william-barber-planned-parenthood/">protect</a> most unborn life.
The moral confusion continued as Barber <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RevDrBarber/posts/3700316376754875">applauded</a> the passage of the “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-equality-act-destroys-religious-liberty-heres-what-you-need-to-know">Equality Act</a>.” The Alliance Defending Freedom <a href="https://adflegal.org/equality-act">calls</a> the act a “deliberate and unprecedented threat to free speech, religious freedom, and the progress that women have made toward true equal treatment under the law.” The bill would replace the religious liberties provided by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (which was signed into law in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and introduced by Chuck Schumer) with an act of secular imperialism, while also denying biological women the right to privacy.
But Barber’s movement isn’t merely against things; the reverend positively endorses socialism. Barber <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-crenshaw-responds-dnc-pastor-no-christianity-james-barrett">asserted</a> that people who believe in “the Bible must then promote socialism, because Jesus offered free healthcare, and He never charged the leper a co-pay.”
Of course, Jesus also never worked for the government, nor did the Bible ever <a href="https://www.djameskennedy.org/video-detail/1901ttt-the-bankruptcy-of-socialism">command</a> Christians to outsource their good deeds to impersonal federal bureaucracies. Lawrence Reed literally <a href="https://fee.org/resources/rendering-unto-caesar-was-jesus-a-socialist/#0">wrote the book</a> comprehensively refuting the notion that Jesus was a socialist. This author has also addressed most of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2266&amp;v=N0FSS-xO3PQ&amp;feature=emb_logo">more common arguments</a> that the Bible demands government redistribution of wealth.
Opposing socialism is hardly an innovation; it is the traditional teaching of every major branch of Christianity. Socialist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg <a href="https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1905/misc/socialism-churches.htm">complained</a> that Orthodox Christian “believers who go to church on Sundays and festivals are compelled, more and more often, to listen to … a real indictment of Socialism.” The great Baptist preacher C.H. Spurgeon <a href="https://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1420.pdf">warned</a> that “socialism may yet pollute the mass of mankind.” And one of the many papal encyclicals that condemning Marxism <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno.html">states</a>, “No one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist.”
Yet Barber sublimates his faith to his political views to such an extent that he even politicized the terrorist attack against Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) by a radical left-wing assailant. As Scalise lay in a hospital bed hovering between life and death, Barber implied that, if Scalise survived, he needed to repent of his Republicanism. While Barber told “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQEdDySUVI">AM Joy</a>” that Americans should “be united” in prayer for Scalise, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bozell-graham-joy-reids-immoral-moment-l-brent-bozell-iii">continued</a>: “All of those that were injured needed healthcare, so now will they go back to work and … preserve the Affordable Care Act, move the universal healthcare, and make sure preexisting conditions are protected? Since they could have died, will they repent of efforts to take money from Medicaid?”
“These are the serious moral questions that have to be answered,” Barber said. On the contrary: The most serious raised by Barber’s cold-blooded politicization of grief is whether the reverend is “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+3%3A1-5&amp;version=KJV">without natural affection</a>.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="William Barber Prays For Steve Scalise, Asks GOP Not To ‘Prey’ On Poor | AM Joy | MSNBC" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGQEdDySUVI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
No one who misses as many fundamental, historical, and universal doctrines of the Bible as Barber does has any businesses preaching on the finer points of applied public morality. Perhaps he should heed the words of the Bible, “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+5%3A8-14&amp;version=NIV">Hebrews 5:12</a>).
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II alongsi

‘The Filibuster Is Sinful’: Left-Wing Minister Questions Joe Manchin’s Faith

Abortion

Bible

Christianity

Equality Act

Morality

Socialism

Pop singer Taylor Swift kicked off the month of June, known by some as &#8220;Pride Month,&#8221; by announcing her partnership with the Gay &amp; Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to push the Equality Act.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the &#8220;Shake It Off&#8221; singer declared this to be the #summerofequality as she &#8220;proudly&#8221; joined GLAAD to push the Equality Act.
&#8220;I want to take a moment to thank the courageous activists, advocates and allies for their dedication to fighting against discrimination and hatred,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And as always, today I&#8217;m sending my respect and love to those bravely living out their truth, even when the world we live in still makes that so hard to do.&#8221;
&#8220;Who you love and how you identify shouldn&#8217;t put you in danger, leave you vulnerable and hold you back in life. I proudly join GLAAD in their #summerofequality and add my voice to those who support the Equality Act,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Happy Pride Month!&#8221;
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🌈 <a href="https://t.co/4PUvHV2Rl0">pic.twitter.com/4PUvHV2Rl0</a>
&mdash; Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1399755907928571909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-ways-the-equality-act-could-damage-religious-freedom-in-america">reported</a>, extremist elements of the Equality Act regarding abortion and transgenderism will undoubtedly harm religious liberty:
<blockquote>An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-ways-the-equality-act-could-damage-religious-freedom-in-america">analysis</a> for The Daily Wire in February by Ben Zeisloft discussed how the Equality Act could affect the religious freedom of business owners, religious adoption care providers, education providers, and places of worship. Zeisloft explained the legislation, noting, “The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/text">Equality Act</a> would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-equality-act-destroys-religious-liberty-heres-what-you-need-to-know">insert</a> ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, thereby extending the power of the federal government to enforce nondiscrimination laws in cases related to LGBT individuals.”
It also “supersedes the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1308">Religious Freedom Restoration Act</a> of 1993, which ‘prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States… from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion.’” As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ric-grenell-slams-equality-act-for-attacking-religion-condemns-angry-lgbt-leadership-in-d-c">reported</a> in February, former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell expressed his opposition to the Equality Act. Grenell warned during an interview with the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/richard-grenell-equality-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Examiner</a> that the Equality Act would give “special rights” to some groups.
“We just want to be treated equally,” said Grenell. “And over the years, we’ve migrated into a group of angry leadership in Washington, demanding special rights.”
“And the attack on the religious community is unacceptable,” he added.
</blockquote>
President Biden also kicked off the month of June by touting the Equality Act, alleging that there are many states &#8220;in which LGBTQ+ individuals still lack protections for fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, public accommodations, and other spaces.&#8221;
&#8220;Our Nation also continues to face tragic levels of violence against transgender people, especially transgender women of color,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;And we are still haunted by tragedies such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.  Ending violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community demands our continued focus and diligence.  As President, I am committed to defending the rights of all LGBTQ+ individuals.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-touts-equality-act-in-proclamation-for-pride-month">Biden Touts Equality Act In Proclamation For Pride Month</a>

The Brit Awards 2021 – Show – London

Taylor Swift Pushes The ‘Equality Act’ To Kickstart ‘Pride Month’

Pride Month

Taylor Swift

President Joe Biden issued a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/01/a-proclamation-on-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-and-queer-pride-month-2021/">proclamation</a> on Tuesday to mark the beginning of “Pride Month,&#8221; a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. 
In his statement, Biden spoke about various policy proposals and members of his administration, including a directive to Congress to pass the Equality Act, which many conservatives have pushed back on over the harm it poses to religious freedom in the United States. 
Biden called out “many States in which LGBTQ+ individuals still lack protections for fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, public accommodations, and other spaces,” claiming that the United States “continues to witness a tragic spike in violence against transgender women of color.  LGBTQ+ individuals — especially youth who defy sex or gender norms — face bullying and harassment in educational settings and are at a disproportionate risk of self-harm and death by suicide.  Some States have chosen to actively target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our Nation’s values of inclusivity and freedom for all.”
Discussing his own administration, Biden noted, “Nearly 14 percent of my 1,500 agency appointees identify as LGBTQ+, and I am particularly honored by the service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Cabinet, and Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate.”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-claim-pete-buttigieg-appointment-would-make-him-first-openly-gay-cabinet-member-forget-richard-grenell">reported</a> in December before Buttigieg was appointed to his position, numerous outlets said that “Buttigieg would be the first ‘openly gay man’ to hold a Cabinet post. Except, Buttigieg would not be the first ‘openly gay’ cabinet member, as that honor already belongs to Richard Grenell, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in February to serve as the acting director of national intelligence.” 
In his proclamation, Biden continued, “While I am proud of the progress my Administration has made in advancing protections for the LGBTQ+ community, I will not rest until full equality for LGBTQ+ Americans is finally achieved and codified into law.”
“That is why I continue to call on the Congress to pass the Equality Act, which will ensure civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and families across our country,” he added. &#8220;And that is why we must recognize emerging challenges, like the fact that many LGBTQ+ seniors, who faced discrimination and oppression throughout their lives, are isolated and need support and elder care.”
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-ways-the-equality-act-could-damage-religious-freedom-in-america">analysis</a> for The Daily Wire in February by Ben Zeisloft discussed how the Equality Act could affect the religious freedom of business owners, religious adoption care providers, education providers, and places of worship. 
Zeisloft explained the legislation, noting, “The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/text">Equality Act</a> would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-equality-act-destroys-religious-liberty-heres-what-you-need-to-know">insert</a> ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, thereby extending the power of the federal government to enforce nondiscrimination laws in cases related to LGBT individuals.”
It also “supersedes the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1308">Religious Freedom Restoration Act</a> of 1993, which ‘prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States… from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion.’”
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ric-grenell-slams-equality-act-for-attacking-religion-condemns-angry-lgbt-leadership-in-d-c">reported</a> in February, former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell expressed his opposition to the Equality Act. Grenell warned during an interview with the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/richard-grenell-equality-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Examiner</a> that the Equality Act would give “special rights” to some groups.
“We just want to be treated equally,” said Grenell. “And over the years, we’ve migrated into a group of angry leadership in Washington, demanding special rights.”
“And the attack on the religious community is unacceptable,” he added.
Read the full <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/06/01/a-proclamation-on-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-and-queer-pride-month-2021/">proclamation</a> below:
<blockquote>
The uprising at the Stonewall Inn in June, 1969, sparked a liberation movement — a call to action that continues to inspire us to live up to our Nation’s promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all.  Pride is a time to recall the trials the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of trailblazing individuals who have bravely fought — and continue to fight — for full equality.  Pride is both a jubilant communal celebration of visibility and a personal celebration of self-worth and dignity.  This Pride Month, we recognize the valuable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals across America, and we reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Americans in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice. 
The LGBTQ+ community in America has achieved remarkable progress since Stonewall.  Historic Supreme Court rulings in recent years have struck down regressive laws, affirmed the right to marriage equality, and secured workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in every State and Territory.  The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act broadened the definition of hate crimes to include crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity.  Members of the LGBTQ+ community now serve in nearly every level of public office — in city halls and State capitals, Governors’ mansions and the halls of the Congress, and throughout my Administration.  Nearly 14 percent of my 1,500 agency appointees identify as LGBTQ+, and I am particularly honored by the service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Cabinet, and Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate.  
For all of our progress, there are many States in which LGBTQ+ individuals still lack protections for fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, public accommodations, and other spaces.  Our Nation continues to witness a tragic spike in violence against transgender women of color.  LGBTQ+ individuals — especially youth who defy sex or gender norms — face bullying and harassment in educational settings and are at a disproportionate risk of self-harm and death by suicide.  Some States have chosen to actively target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our Nation’s values of inclusivity and freedom for all. 
Our Nation also continues to face tragic levels of violence against transgender people, especially transgender women of color.  And we are still haunted by tragedies such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando.  Ending violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community demands our continued focus and diligence.  As President, I am committed to defending the rights of all LGBTQ+ individuals. 
My Administration is taking historic actions to finally deliver full equality for LGBTQ+ families.  On my first day in office, I signed an Executive Order charging Federal agencies to fully enforce all Federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.  As a result, the Federal Government has taken steps to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in employment, health care, housing, lending, and education.  I also signed an Executive Order affirming all qualified Americans will be able to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States — including patriotic transgender Americans who can once again proudly and openly serve their Nation in uniform — and a National Security Memorandum that commits to supporting LGBTQ+ Federal employees serving overseas.  My Administration is also working to promote and protect LGBTQ+ human rights abroad.  LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, which is why my Administration has reaffirmed America’s commitment to supporting those on the front lines of the equality and democracy movements around the world, often at great risk.  We see you, we support you, and we are inspired by your courage to accept nothing less than full equality. 
While I am proud of the progress my Administration has made in advancing protections for the LGBTQ+ community, I will not rest until full equality for LGBTQ+ Americans is finally achieved and codified into law.  That is why I continue to call on the Congress to pass the Equality Act, which will ensure civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and families across our country.  And that is why we must recognize emerging challenges, like the fact that many LGBTQ+ seniors, who faced discrimination and oppression throughout their lives, are isolated and need support and elder care. 
During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals who are fighting to live freely and authentically.  In doing so, they are opening hearts and minds, and laying the foundation for a more just and equitable America.  This Pride Month, we affirm our obligation to uphold the dignity of all people, and dedicate ourselves to protecting the most vulnerable among us. 
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high. 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
</blockquote>

PRIDE gay text in rainbow letters balloons on pink background.Top view.

Biden Touts Equality Act In Proclamation For Pride Month

Joe Biden

LGBTQ

Transgender beauty pageant contestant Kataluna Enriquez snagged the title of Miss Silver State USA earlier this month. Landing a first in the pageant&#8217;s history, Enriquez called the victory &#8220;a celebration of womanhood and diversity.&#8221;
Enriquez, a biological male who identifies as female, bested the other competitors in the biggest preliminary competition for the Miss Nevada USA pageant.
Enriquez is now on track to compete for Miss Nevada USA, the state pageant leading to Miss USA and Miss Universe, FOX 5 <a href="https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/first-transgender-titleholder-crowned-miss-silver-state-usa/article_a758ff9e-86e3-11eb-83e0-5783653b0b9c.html">reported</a>. State winners and the Miss USA champion are awarded, among other things, scholarship money.
“Miss Silver State was a great experience … to me it was honestly a celebration of womanhood and diversity and this celebration of being your true self,” Enriquez told FOX 5.
“I was asked to provide documents that were invasive in my opinion physically asking me to get a letter from my doctor,” Enriquez said of past pageants.
FOX 5 reported: &#8220;Enriquez was required to meet with a doctor who had to examine her and certify that she was female before being allowed to compete, something not required of anyone else in the competition. At the same pageant, every other contestant was assigned a roommate [except] her. She did not want to name that pageant in this report for fear of jeopardizing her chances in future competitions.&#8221;
Enriquez&#8217;s win comes as Democrats push the &#8220;Equality Act,&#8221; which would replace some divisions made by sex with “gender identity” instead.
Testifying at the Senate Judicial Committee Hearing on the Equality Act this week, independent journalist Abigail Shrier argued that the Equality Act would ensure inequality for young girls and women.
“No one who wrote [the bill] appears to have thoughtfully considered what it would mean for women and girls,&#8221; Shrier argued, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abigail-shrier-says-gender-ideology-is-misogyny-in-progressive-clothing-at-senate-hearing-on-equality-act">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“Members of the Committee, if your daughter or granddaughter was the top high school tennis player in her state, and then five biological boys suddenly decided, at the age of 17, to identify as female — should she drop overnight to number 6? Should she lose her college scholarship to a male-bodied athlete who would never have qualified on the boys’ team? Does that strike any member of this Committee as fair or just?” the journalist posed.
“If a woman in your state commits a crime, should she be put in a correctional facility with biological males, some of whom are sex offenders? Some of whom may have only begun identifying as female weeks earlier? All of whom could easily overpower her,” she added.
“The plain truth is that it is not sensible, not safe, and certainly not just, to end these hard-won protections for women and girls in the name of equality,&#8221; Shrier asserted.
&#8220;Gender ideology, which is at the heart of this bill, is misogyny in progressive clothing. Gender Ideology tells women and girls they are not entitled to their fear or their sense of unfairness as their protective spaces are eliminated,&#8221; the journalist added.
“If you vote to take away those rights, don’t pretend you’ve achieved a civil rights victory. In the name of inclusivity, you’ll have made life far less safe, far less fair, and far less inclusive for America’s women and girls.”

Crown

Transgender Beauty Queen Takes Crown, Calls Win A ‘Celebration Of Womanhood And Diversity’

Transgender

At the Senate Judicial Committee Hearing on the Equality Act on Wednesday, independent journalist Abigail Shrier presented a serious testimony against the Equality Act due to the inequality it would ensure for young girls and women.
Shrier was the focus of controversy after writing a book last year that focused on the transgender movement among young girls, titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Irreversible-Damage-Transgender-Seducing-Daughters/dp/1684510317">&#8220;Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters.&#8221;</a>
Shrier has been criticized for being anti-transgender even though she <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/TheJoeRoganExperience/1509-abigail-shrier/">says</a> her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Irreversible-Damage-Transgender-Seducing-Daughters/dp/1684510317">book</a> has nothing to do with adults being transgender, but rather is about the &#8220;trans epidemic&#8221; that impacts young girls. She has also spoken out against censorship in the book world.
Last month, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-conservative-books-amazon-quietly-bans-books-they-deem-offensive-hate-speech">The Daily Wire</a> reported on Shrier&#8217;s tweet thread regarding Amazon&#8217;s book-banning:
<blockquote>“We’re really not making a big enough deal of the fact that [Amazon] has begun deleting books,” she said. “Amazon now claims the right to bar all books that are ‘inappropriate or offensive.’ Of course, nearly *every book* worth reading could be characterized as ‘inappropriate’ or ‘offensive’ to someone.”</blockquote>
At the Senate hearing, Shrier began her testimony by saying, &#8220;Gay and transgender Americans are living today with less fear and stigma than at any point in American history – and that makes me very happy. It should make us all very proud.&#8221;
Shrier stated that she would support the bill in question if it increased rights regarding employment and public housing to transgender and gay Americans. However, she said that she is testifying against it because it does more than that. Shrier said, &#8220;No one who wrote [the bill] appears to have thoughtfully considered what it would mean for women and girls.&#8221;
Shrier argued that the bill would set women and young girls back in the realm of equality — and it would potentially put them in physical danger. Shrier questioned, &#8220;Members of the Committee, if your daughter or granddaughter was the top high school tennis player in her state, and then five biological boys suddenly decided, at the age of 17, to identify as female — should she drop overnight to number 6? Should she lose her college scholarship to a male-bodied athlete who would never have qualified on the boys’ team? Does that strike any member of this Committee as fair or just?”
&#8220;If a woman in your state commits a crime, should she be put in a correctional facility with biological males, some of whom are sex offenders? Some of whom may have only begun identifying as female weeks earlier? All of whom could easily overpower her,” she continued.
Shrier added, &#8220;The plain truth is that it is not sensible, not safe, and certainly not just, to end these hard-won protections for women and girls in the name of equality.&#8221;
The journalist also made the point that &#8220;gender identity can be very ephemeral,&#8221; noting that even well-known gender therapists have concluded that people can be on a &#8220;gender journey&#8221; where they identify differently day-to-day. She affirmed that those people have the freedom to do that in this country, but asked, &#8220;Should we undermine women’s sports and protective spaces to allow gender-fluid males a gender journey?&#8221;
In a defense of transgender people, Shrier seemed to refer to her book about the transgender movement. She said, &#8220;I have probably interviewed more transgender Americans than any person in this room. And I can honestly say that, excepting political activists, most do not want to obliterate women’s rights and safe spaces.”
&#8220;Most would never think of stealing women’s scholarships by forcing young women into demoralizing contests with male bodies. But Gender Ideology, which is at the heart of this bill, is misogyny in progressive clothing. Gender Ideology tells women and girls they are not entitled to their fear or their sense of unfairness as their protective spaces are eliminated.&#8221;
Shrier concluded with a recognition of women like the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who &#8220;fought to create sex-based protections to make life safe and fair for women.&#8221;
In a strong closing argument, Shrier told the committee, &#8220;If you vote to take away those rights, don’t pretend you’ve achieved a civil rights victory. In the name of inclusivity, you’ll have made life far less safe, far less fair, and far less inclusive for America&#8217;s women and girls.&#8221;
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Abigail Shrier Says ‘Gender Ideology’ Is ‘Misogyny In Progressive Clothing’ At Senate Hearing On Equality Act

Abigail Shrier

The Senate Judiciary Committee held its hearing for the Equality Act on Wednesday, including testimonies from citizen witnesses, as well as United States Representatives and Senators. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley (IA), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, discussed his personal religious beliefs in a statement at the hearing.
Grassley stated, &#8220;We all agree that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect &#8230; We’re all human beings and need to treat each other with kindness and compassion, and for some of ya, it may be sentimental for me to say that my guide is from the Bible. &#8216;Love God,&#8217; that first law. The second law — ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
&#8220;I question whether that is what this bill truly does. I strongly suspect that it actually would dictate what women, girls, schools, churches, doctors and others must believe,” Grassley continued.
&#8220;I want to hear from experts and ordinary Americans with life experiences. We need to consider the perspective of everyone who will be affected by this bill&#8217;s sweeping language.&#8221;
Proponents of the bill see it as a way to put protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals into the Civil Rights Act and enshrine equal treatment for members of those groups across the country. However, the bill&#8217;s opponents charge that it limits religious freedom and would directly disadvantage and potentially harm biological females.
Late last month, the bill passed the House of Representatives in a 224-206 vote. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sweeping-lgbt-bill-passes-house-gop-lawmaker-vows-to-fight-in-the-courts-and-beyond-if-it-becomes-law">The Daily Wire</a> reports, &#8220;The Democratic caucus voted unanimously in favor of the bill along with three Republican House members who sided with the Democrats against the rest of their caucus.&#8221;
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a statement, “We are witnessing the greatest assault on religious freedom, biological reality, and parental rights ever seen in the U.S. Congress &#8230; The sweeping Equality Act expands the definition of ‘public accommodation’ in many instances to include churches and schools – including religious schools. The bill redefines what it means to be ‘male and female.’ It politicizes medicine and forces doctors to violate their consciences. And it redefines religious freedom into something that would be unrecognizable to our Founding Fathers.”
Mary Rice Hasson, the Kate O&#8217;Beirne Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, testified at the hearing on Wednesday and discussed matters of faith in regards to the details of the Equality Act.
Hasson <a href="http://eppc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Testimony-Mary-Hasson-EA-Judiciary-3.17.2021-FINAL.pdf">said</a>, &#8220;Let me begin by stating clearly that I believe unjust discrimination is always wrong. All Americans should be treated fairly. Affirming the dignity of all human persons is central to my Catholic faith.”
&#8220;So too is another truth about the human person: we are created male or female from conception &#8230; biological sex matters, in law, medicine, and, for many of us, in the practice of our faith.&#8221;
Hasson continued, &#8220;The Equality Act goes where no federal law has gone before: it redefines sex with no reference to biological distinctions between male and female,” adding, &#8220;The Equality Act defines sex as stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy, sexual desires, and self-perception or gender identity. Gender identity, in turn, is defined by characteristics regardless of sex.”
&#8220;The Equality Act thus cements into the law an ideological belief that identity is self-defined, regardless of the sexed body. It suppresses opposing beliefs — and punishes those who dissent.&#8221;
The bill will require 60 votes in the Senate in order to pass.

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Senator Grassley And Others Discuss Personal Faith At Senate Hearing On Equality Act

Charles Grassley

It turns out that elections have consequences. More specifically, the loss of the White house and the Senate to the increasingly radical Democratic Party has consequences.
Just six weeks into Joe Biden&#8217;s first term, with Democrats essentially controlling the executive and legislative branches, multiple pieces of extreme legislation have been proposed and, in some cases, passed.
Here are three dangerous pieces of legislation the Democrats have already pushed forward since the November elections.
American Rescue Plan Act
As reported by the Daily Wire, “President Joe Biden officially signed the American Rescue Plan into law on [March 11], marking the official enactment of the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill and his first major legislative initiative one day ahead of schedule.”
“President Biden says it’s a coronavirus bill and my response is, ‘Right, you know, and the stripper really likes you,’” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-on-stimulus-calling-it-a-coronavirus-bill-is-like-thinking-the-stripper-really-likes-you">said</a> while speaking with Fox News. “I said the other day that calling this a coronavirus bill is like calling Harvey Weinstein a feminist. It’s just chock-full of spending porn. There are parts of it I like. I like trying to help people who are unemployed, and I like trying to help our small business people, especially our restaurants.”
“But I don’t understand why we have to give bucket-loads of money to prisoners. Why do they need help?” he added. “I don’t understand why we have to give money to people who are in our country illegally. I don’t understand why we have to give money to states whose revenues have gone up. I don’t understand why we have to give $130 billion to schools that refuse to open. I don’t know why we have to pay reparations — this bill has a reparations provision — and if you add up all the coronavirus spending, and then all the spending porn, there’s no comparison.”
For the People Act
As reported by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-democrats-pro-act-three-things-you-need-to-know">Daily Wire</a>, “Earlier this week, House Democrats were joined by five Republicans as they voted 225-206 in favor of the ‘Protecting the Right to Organize Act.’”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/issue-brief/the-dangerous-ideas-behind-the-pro-act">post</a> in July 2019 titled “The Dangerous Ideas Behind the Pro Act,” which began “Labor unions are promoting a bill that would radically rewrite labor law in the United States. The proposal, called the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (H.R. 842), is a litany of almost every failed idea from the past 30 years of labor policy. The PRO Act would undermine worker rights, drag employers into unrelated labor disputes, disrupt the economy, and force individual Americans to pay union dues regardless of their wishes.”
In this post, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued that the PRO Act would “Undermine secret ballot elections — forcing workers to make their choice about unionizing in public and exposing them to threats and coercion from union agents,” “Eliminate all state Right-to-Work laws, which protect workers in more than half the country against being fired if they decline to pay union dues,” and “Take away the ability of employers to keep their workplaces open during strikes.”
In addition, the National Retail Federation <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/10-reasons-hate-worst-bill-congress">described</a> the PRO Act as “the worst bill in Congress,” and that it is “a compilation of dozens of extreme labor policy proposals from the past several years lumped into one disastrous bill.”
Equality Act
In late February, “the House of Representatives voted to pass the Equality Act, a bill which aims to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and for other purposes.”
The legislation passed in the House by 224 votes to 206, with three Republicans (Reps. John Katko (R-NY), Tom Reed (R-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)) joining the Democrats in favor.
“What makes this introduction different to previous instances is that it follows the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court Decision which ruled that ‘the protections guaranteed by the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the basis of sex also extend to discrimination against lesbian, gay, and transgender Americans,’” the Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-equality-act-destroys-religious-liberty-heres-what-you-need-to-know">wrote</a>.
<blockquote>“Therefore, this act would ‘explicitly enshrine those nondiscrimination protections into law for sexual orientation and gender identity,’ rather than providing these protections under the category of ‘sex.’
The Equality Act would expand protection against discrimination provided by the Civil Rights Act (such as employment and housing) to also cover federally funded programs and ‘public accommodations,’ which includes retail stores, online retailers, stadiums, and transportation service providers.
As an example, this would mean that businesses targeted in discrimination suits for refusing certain services based on religious objections would be impacted by the Equality Act, such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/religios-freedeom-win-scotus-invalidates-ruling-hank-berrien">florists</a> or <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/04/605003519/supreme-court-decides-in-favor-of-baker-over-same-sex-couple-in-cake-shop-case">bakeries</a>.
The Equality Act would also supersede the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), passed in 1993 which ‘set a higher bar for the government to defend laws if people argued those laws infringed upon religious freedom.’” </blockquote>
***
These three acts, the first of which has been signed into law with the latter two passing the Democratic House of Representatives, clearly indicate the Left’s ideological intentions. 
The COVID-19 “relief” bill is jam-packed with bail-out money for failed Democratic states and other irrelevant schemes — “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-covid-19-relief-bill-includes-1-billion-to-advance-racial-justice-in-farming">including</a> a $1 billion grant designed to combat historic and systemic racism in agriculture.”
The “For the People Act” would hand Big Labor unprecedented power while simultaneously weakening the individual freedom of workers, specifically those who oppose unions or prefer to remain as independent contractors or “gig workers.”
Finally, the “Equality Act” embraces every element of intersectionality and identity politics now worshiped by the radical Left, and aims to destroy the foundational religious freedoms on which the United States is built in favor of pandering to the vocal “woke” crowd who demand ever more from their elected officials.
These three examples alone prove that the Democrats are not wasting any time. Unless Republicans act soon, fiscal irresponsibility or racial politics could be the least of our worries.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
&nbsp;

These Are The Three Most Dangerous Pieces Of Democrat Legislation In Congress

Congress

COVID

Unionization

Speaking on Fox News with Tucker Carlson on Monday night, author Candace Owens slammed the Equality Act passed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, saying what Democrats are saying right now is that &#8220;LeBron James, in all his physical prowess, should have been allowed in high school to say, ‘I no longer identify as a man; I identify as a woman,&#8217; and he should have been allowed to compete with every woman in every other competition, and that would have been deemed equal.&#8221;
Carlson prompted Owens by asking, “So what effect will this have? You are a woman. You’re married. You just had a baby. In the wake of this, can anyone really say, ‘I’m a woman. I’m a man.’ Do those terms have meaning any more?”
“You will be called a bigot, as I have been called; a hateful individual, a transphobe — the Left just likes to use all of these pejoratives when you are just speaking common sense,” Owens answered. “And I find this to be unbelievably offensive: the idea there are no differences between men and women, especially, as you just mentioned, me being someone that just gave birth six weeks ago. The idea that there is nothing that makes me special, nothing that makes me different from a man that stands up and says, ‘I now identify as a woman,’ it’s quite frankly, insulting.”
“And take a look at this,” she continued. “Honestly, just think about this for a second to really paint a picture of what the Left is trying to do: What they are saying right now is that LeBron James, when he was in high school and was drafted by the NBA, LeBron James, in all his physical prowess, should have been allowed to in high school to say, &#8216;I no longer identify as a man; I identify as a woman,&#8217; and he should have been allowed to compete with every woman in every other competition, and that would have been deemed equal. That would have been deemed an exercise in achieving equality.”
“We know that that is anything but,” Owens posited. “And this is the problem with the Left, Tucker; it’s so, so serious: They do not understand what equality is. They don&#8217;t know what equality means. They think it’s sameness. They think we just need to make everybody a carbon copy of the other person; nobody can have any differences. They hate the idea of male, female, girl, boy, because that means that there are some differences between all of us. And there is. What conservatives fight for is, we want to make sure people have equal opportunities, but we acknowledge there are real biological realities that cannot be ignored.”
Owens later pointed out the Left’s hypocrisy when it comes to women, saying:
<blockquote>Here’s actually what I find to be really funny, right? They go on about calling us transphobic, but think about somebody like Rachel Dolezal. The Left completely were so angry about her because she is, for lack of a better term, “transracial,” right? She is a biological white female who woke up one day and decided that she was going to be black until she was discovered. 
Well, imagine if Rachel Dolezal signed up and started taking opportunities away from black people for black academic success, black scholarships. Wouldn’t the Left absolutely implode if Rachel Dolezal was given a scholarship because she thought she was black, she woke up one day and decided to be black? Why can’t they have the same standards for women? Why are they allowing them to erase women?
You know, they told us we should fear Donald Trump and the Trump administration, right, because women, it was going to be so dangerous if Trump got into office. Well, look at what Joe Biden did in just a couple of weeks in office. That is where the real concern lies.</blockquote>
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Candace Owens

WATCH: ‘LeBron James … Should Have Been Allowed To Compete With Every Woman’: Candace Owens Slams Equality Act

LeBron James

Former U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell expressed his opposition to the Equality Act on Friday and condemned what he described as the angry nature of the LGBT lobby in Washington, D.C.
Claiming it shows preferential treatment to individual groups and discriminates against religious communities, Grenell warned during an interview with the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/richard-grenell-equality-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Examiner</a> that the Equality Act would give &#8220;special rights&#8221; to some groups.
&#8220;We just want to be treated equally,&#8221; said Grenell, who became the first openly gay person to serve in a Cabinet-level position when former President Donald Trump appointed him as acting director of national intelligence in 2020. &#8220;And over the years, we&#8217;ve migrated into a group of angry leadership in Washington, demanding special rights.&#8221;
&#8220;And the attack on the religious community is unacceptable,&#8221; he added.
Grenell, an outspoken Trump supporter, also said he believes the former president convinced many in the LGBT community to support smaller government and vote Republican. &#8220;In this last campaign, we literally doubled the support of gays and lesbians for conservative causes,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The group Outspoken has done incredible work. They continue to do it. They deserve all of our support. And it&#8217;s just a group of young gays and lesbians who are demanding that people think about these issues.&#8221;
The Equality Act has stoked heated cultural debate since it passed the House of Representatives on Thursday. Proponents of the legislative package argue it is a necessary amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act that would protect citizens from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics, by contrast, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-ways-the-equality-act-could-damage-religious-freedom-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned</a> that the legislation would endanger the rights of religious Americans in favor of the LGBT community by putting them in situations that would force them to choose between following the law or obeying their faith.
The Equality Act would usurp the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to which individuals have appealed in cases claiming their religious freedom has been violated.
&#8220;The Equality Act explicitly exempts itself from the requirements and protections of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage/upload/Equality-Act-Backgrounder.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United States Conference of Catholic Bishops</a>. &#8220;This would be unprecedented, as no federal law has ever done so before, and it demonstrates the Equality Act’s radical denial of tolerance to people of faith who do not agree to the government’s view of sexuality as established by the Act.&#8221;
The House Freedom Caucus held a press conference about the Equality Act on Thursday, during which Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) delivered a speech summarizing the caucus&#8217; opposition to the bill. Roy said in part:
<blockquote>This body being led by Democrats is trampling the rights of the people in the name of ‘equality,’ in the false name of ‘equality.’ &#8230; This is a government using its power to tell us to bow down to the will of a cultural elite in this town who want to tell us what we’re supposed to believe. We’re not going to do that.</blockquote>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;This is a government using its power to tell us to bow down to the will of a cultural elite in this town who want to tell us what we’re supposed to believe. We’re not going to do that.&quot;
Rep Roy&#39;s full remarks at today&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FreedomCaucus</a> press conference on the Equality Act: <a href="https://t.co/RPIbzdSMwv">pic.twitter.com/RPIbzdSMwv</a>
&mdash; Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepChipRoy/status/1364968277009661960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/equality-act-poses-dangers-to-americans-of-faith-sen-lankford-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Equality Act Poses Dangers To Americans Of Faith, Sen. Lankford Warns</a>

Mike Pompeo Visits Germany

Ric Grenell Slams Equality Act For Attacking Religion, Condemns ‘Angry’ LGBT Leadership In D.C.

Ric Grenell

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) warned Friday that the Equality Act poses a threat to religious liberty in the United States and will effectively force Americans to keep their faith quiet.
Speaking on the topic of religious liberty at CPAC 2021 in Orlando, Florida, Lankford began by mentioning <a href="https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-demands-equal-treatment_for-houses-of-worships-to-open-their-doors-and--serve-community-during-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the amendment</a> he introduced to the Senate Budget Resolution earlier this month that would limit federal COVID-19 relief funds for states or localities that discriminate against houses of worship and other faith-based organizations.
&#8220;Here&#8217;s one of the many things that make our nation so special,&#8221; Lankford said. &#8220;In America, every person has the right to have any faith of their choosing or to have no faith at all, and you are still a great American.&#8221;
“You don’t have to take off your faith when you leave your house. You don’t have to take off your faith when you leave church. In fact, I would remind this group if you don’t practice your faith every day, you really don’t have a faith, you just have a religious hobby. Your faith should have an impact on you.”
After extolling the First Amendment for giving Americans the ability to choose any faith, Lankford warned of the threat he believes some on the Left pose to such freedom.
“The in-group in society doesn’t get to define who can and cannot have faith, what their faith would look like in public or in private,” he continued. &#8220;Left-wing politicians can&#8217;t push faith out of public view because they don&#8217;t like it. We have a First Amendment. We don’t have to submit to the in-crowd’s secular humanism.&#8221;
&#8220;The problem is not everyone believes that,&#8221; that said Lankford, singling out California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, President Joe Biden&#8217;s nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services.
“He sued the Trump administration a hundred times and he led the lawsuit against people of faith, like the Little Sisters of the Poor, forcing them to choose between shutting down their ministry to elderly poor or to violate their religious beliefs,” Lankford said. “He worked to manage the faith of Californians.”
Lankford then took aim at what he described as &#8220;the ironically named Equality Act,&#8221; under which, he claimed, &#8220;people of faith cannot say you have faith.”
The Equality Act, a contentious legislative package, passed the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Proponents of the bill argue it is a necessary amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act that would protect citizens from discrimination regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Critics, by contrast, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-ways-the-equality-act-could-damage-religious-freedom-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned</a> that the legislation would endanger the rights of religious Americans in favor of the LGBT community by putting them in situations that would force them to choose the law or their faith.
WATCH:
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Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepChipRoy/status/1364970491191132166" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">delivered a speech</a> against the Equality Act on Thursday at the Capitol, saying in part:
<blockquote>This body being led by Democrats is trampling the rights of the people in the name of ‘equality,’ in the false name of &#8216;equality.&#8217; Our federalist system allows us to agree to disagree, and we should be able to do that. But if this Democratic Congress, and if the Democratic leadership, and if this White House continues to trample the rights of the people of the United States, then it is they who will be destroying this Union.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-not-ready-pastor-andrew-brunson-predicts-worsening-religious-persecution-in-u-s-regardless-of-election-outcome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘We’re Not Ready’: Pastor Andrew Brunson Predicts Worsening Religious Persecution In U.S. Regardless Of Election Outcome</a>

Sen. James Lankford

Equality Act Poses Dangers To Americans Of Faith, Sen. Lankford Warns

CPAC

Religion

Xavier Becerra

After days of debate, the House of Representatives <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sweeping-lgbt-bill-passes-house-gop-lawmaker-vows-to-fight-in-the-courts-and-beyond-if-it-becomes-law">passed</a> the Equality Act on Thursday in a 224-206 vote. 
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5/text">Equality Act</a> would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-equality-act-destroys-religious-liberty-heres-what-you-need-to-know">insert</a> “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” into the Civil Rights Act of 1964, thereby extending the power of the federal government to enforce nondiscrimination laws in cases related to LGBT individuals.
The legislation also supersedes the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1308">Religious Freedom Restoration Act</a> of 1993, which “prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States… from substantially burdening a person&#8217;s exercise of religion.” Less than thirty years ago, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — which was sponsored by then-Representative and current Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — passed the House and Senate almost unanimously and was signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.
Democrats lauded the passage of the legislation; Rep. David Cicilline (RI-1) <a href="https://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-statement-passage-equality-act">stated</a> that “the House has again affirmed that LGBTQ people should enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as all other Americans.” On the grounds of effects upon religious freedom, Republicans sharply disagreed; Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said the bill “is trampling the rights of the people in the name of ‘equality.’” He vowed to “keep fighting it in the courts and beyond.”
With its revision of keystone civil rights and religious freedom statutes, the Equality Act would have considerable effects upon Americans who operate under religious conviction in their daily lives. 
From private businesses and educational institutions to churches and adoption care providers, the Equality Act would grant legal powers to those who wish to advance the LGBT agenda at the expense of religious Americans.
Businesses
The Equality Act would compel religious business owners to potentially violate their consciences in hiring employees and providing services.
The Civil Rights Act <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:2000e-2%20edition:prelim)">disallows</a> an employer to “fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual&#8217;s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” The Equality Act would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to this list.
The revision could potentially touch every private business in the United States. For example, medical providers would lose the right to refuse particular services, as Ryan Anderson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center describes in an editorial for the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/21/bidens-equality-act-is-a-danger-to-womens-and-conscience-rights/">New York Post</a>.
“Medical doctors, secular and religious, whose ­expert judgment is that sex-reassignment procedures are misguided would now run afoul of our civil-rights laws,” he wrote. “If you perform a mastectomy in the case of breast cancer, you will have to perform one on the teenage girl identifying as a boy. All in the name of equality.”
The legislation also treats refusal to provide abortion-related services as “pregnancy” discrimination, which provides grounds to erode “decades of conscience protections against abortion extremism at the federal, state and local levels.”
Adoption
The Equality Act includes language that would justify violating the consciences of religious adoption care providers.
“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer… people commonly experience discrimination in securing access to public accommodations — including… adoption and foster care providers,” reads the Equality Act’s findings and purpose section. “Forms of discrimination include the exclusion and denial of entry, unequal or unfair treatment, harassment, and violence. This discrimination prevents the full participation of LGBTQ people in society and disrupts the free flow of commerce.”
As the <a href="https://www.heritage.org/gender/heritage-explains/the-equality-act">Heritage Foundation</a> details, laws about sexual orientation and gender identity at the state and local level have already forced the closure of several faith-based adoption and foster care providers across the United States. In 2018, for instance, the Philadelphia Department of Human Services <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/city-council-lgbtq-discrimination-foster-adopt-child-welfare-hearings-20180315.html">halted</a> foster care intake with Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Social Services. The decision came in the wake of Bethany Christian Services turning away a same-sex couple attempting to foster children and Catholic Social Services affirming the decision.
The Heritage Foundation refers to similar situations in New York, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, and other Democratic states. However, the Equality Act would provide legal grounds from the federal level for more closures of faith-based adoption services.
Currently, nearly half a million American children are in the foster care <a href="https://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care/">system</a>.
Education
The Equality Act prohibits “sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination” in the hiring of education providers.
Many religious educational institutions presently do not hire openly homosexual teachers due to their doctrines about marriage and sexuality. The Roman Catholic Church’s Indianapolis Archdiocese, for example, <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/archdiocese-severs-ties-jesuit-school-after-refusal-fire-gay-teacher">ceased</a> to recognize a Jesuit high school after it refused to dismiss a teacher engaged in a same-sex partnership. Archbishop Charles Thompson stated that the school had “chosen not to implement changes in accord with the doctrine and pastoral practice of the Catholic Church.&#8221;
Beyond hiring practices, the Equality Act would provide inroads for LGBT education to enter public schools. 
A coalition called <a href="https://promisetoamericaschildren.org/#">Promise to America’s Children</a> — which is backed by the Family Policy Alliance, the Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, Christian Medical &amp; Dental Associations, and other advocacy groups — notes that the Equality Act would “pave the way for sexualized curriculum across the nation while overriding the authority of parents and penalizing Americans who dare to disagree with its agenda.”
Churches
Many protections for churches will remain under the Equality Act. However, the legislation would still carry important implications for places of worship and demand vigilance from ministers.
John Litzler — the director of the Church Law Division of Christian Unity Ministries and a Baptist General Convention of Texas legal consultant — wrote for the <a href="https://www.baptiststandard.com/opinion/other-opinions/commentary-the-equality-act-and-how-it-could-affect-churches-religious-organizations/#:~:text=The%20Equality%20Act%20changes%20little%20for%20churches.%20Though,is%20strong%20protection%20for%20churches%20in%20these%20laws.">Baptist Register</a> that “ministerial exemptions” under the Civil Rights Act would not be affected by the Equality Act. 
However, Litzler states that “when hiring a staff member who doesn’t serve an important religious function for the church — such as a custodial staff member — that employee may not fall under the ministerial exception.” 
The recent Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court opinion — which ruled that “the protections guaranteed by the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the basis of sex also extend to discrimination against lesbian, gay, and transgender Americans” — would be codified by the Equality Act. Litzler writes that an employee may therefore “bring against the church a claim of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“Still, the Equality Act would bring some changes for churches,” Litzler adds. “While churches are not generally considered places of public accommodation, they will need to remain vigilant in connecting the rental of their facilities to the church’s religious mission and behaving in a manner that doesn’t put them in competition with secular rental venues.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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