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Republicans Propose To Let Businesses Discriminate Based On LGBTQ Status, Race, Religion
Freedom of religion does not mean freedom to discriminate. The proposal by Trump's Republican administration outlined below seeks to dismantle decades of civil rights progress.
The Trump administration on Wednesday [8/14/19] formally proposed a new rule to let businesses with federal contracts cite religious objections as a valid reason to discriminate against their workers on the basis of LGBTQ status, sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, and other characteristics — thereby skirting worker protections.... Trump’s latest effort to weaken the civil rights of minorities with ambiguous rules that grant agencies wide discretion to let companies off the hook when accused of discrimination.
The 46-page draft rule from the Labor Department would apply to a range of so-called religious organizations — including corporations, schools, and societies — provided that they claim a “religious purpose.”
Labor Department spokesperson Megan Sweeney confirmed.... the rule would apply to for-profit corporations with federal contracts. This would allow those companies discriminate and keep their contract, given that they obtain a religious exemption.
Allowing businesses with federal contracts to use religion as a license to discriminate against LGBTQ folks and others is immoral and wrong. This proposal will dismantle crucial protections for LGBTQ people, women and religious minorities. Government should put an end to discrimination, not protect employers who discriminate.
The purpose of this law is to pander to anti-LGBTQ+ extremists — including those labeled as hate groups — in the Trump base. These groups have long claimed that prohibitions on discrimination somehow trample religious liberty.
The Trump administration issued a directive with similar aims in August 2018, saying that the Labor Department would grant a broader “religious exemption” for contractors. The proposed regulation would carry more legal force than the directive and could be difficult for future presidents to undo.
The National Center for Transgender Equality said in a statement the rule could allow “firing or refusing to hire someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It could also lead to federal contractors refusing to hire women or unmarried workers who are pregnant or parents, or even discrimination on the basis of race.”