The United States House of Representatives has been working diligently towards legitimizing discrimination against women and LGBT individuals, using religious liberty as a façade. That is the reason why advocates of LGBT equality, freedom of religion and belief as well as reproductive freedom have come together to oppose any move at both state and federal levels that might use religion to discrimination, including a measure that was recently approved by a House committee on April 21.
A committee of the United States House of Representatives came to the decision that employees within the District of Columbia could be sacked for opting for in-vitro fertilization to start a new family or to conceive while still being unmarried. Critics have obviously condemned the decision that would allow an employer to fire an employee simply because the employee’s personal decisions are not consistent with the employer’s religious beliefs. Now, the entire House is waiting to vote on the highly discriminatory measure.
At the same time, another measure was introduced in the House that would block the Human Rights Amendment Act, thus ensuring LGBT student groups at religiously affiliated schools and universities do not have access to the same resources, facilities and privileges as their heterosexual peers. What is worse is that similar measures of both bills are currently pending at the Senate.
In both cases, advocates of such Congressional decisions are promoting the respective measures in the name of religious liberty, as they believe the District of Columbia’s anti-discrimination bills violate the religious liberty of employers as well as educational institutions. However, critics say that notion is far from the truth, as the District of Columbia’s bills actually allow employees and students of all faiths to abide by their individual religious and moral beliefs.
American Civil Liberties Union addressed the issue on its blog, writing, “We believe that religious liberty is a fundamental value worth fighting for. It means that everyone is free to believe what they choose, and to act according to those beliefs. What it doesn't mean, however, is that we can use our beliefs as an excuse to harm others or to discriminate. Any other interpretation would undermine our equally cherished commitment to nondiscrimination and equal treatment.”
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