On June 17, 2015, Raul Labrador – Idaho’s 1st district representative – introduced the H.R. 2802. The bill specifies protection against any discrimination of a person who “believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”
The First Amendment Defense Act “protects” the religious freedoms of employers, meaning they could fire unmarried pregnant women or LGBT employees. No, really:
“There are colleges and universities that have a religious belief that sexual relations are to be reserved for marriage,” Senator Mike Lee stated in an NPR interview. And to take things further, Lee continued to say these beliefs deserve protection, because it’s “religious freedom.”
That being said, the H.R. 2802 in full-effect will prevent the feds from revoking a company’s contract over this issue. If a woman is fired for being pregnant out of wedlock, nothing can be done about it. I don’t need to point out the obvious, but this kind of discrimination is a major step backward for a society trying to progress.
With the current same-sex marriage law for all 50 states in full swing, and Obama’s banning of contractor discrimination against LGBT people, it seems as though equality for all is soon-to-be achieved. According to Labrador, H.R. 2802 is nothing more than a bill preventing discrimination against religious beliefs. In essence, the bill sounds like it will add to the “equality across the boards” ideal, yet I have a hard time believing there isn’t an underlying prejudice.
In any case, aren’t these very same people the bill promises to protect against discrimination, the ones who judge the most? If it is unfair for prejudice feds to look at your religious beliefs and decide to revoke your license, then it is also unfair for a business to fire an unmarried and pregnant woman. The bill is too vague, makes little sense, and deserves a major vote of “not in favor.”
Original article via Huffington Post
Photo via Huffington Post
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