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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 7 december 2019
GOP Rep. pitches LGBTQ rights bill with religious exemptions

By ELANA SCHOR individuals from discrimina-
Associated Press tion in employment, hous-
As Democrats champion ing, education, and other
anti-discrimination protec- public services — while also
tions for the LGBTQ com- carving out exemptions for
munity and Republicans religious organizations to
counter with worries about act based on beliefs that
safeguarding religious may exclude those of dif-
freedom, one congressio- ferent sexual orientations
nal Republican is offering or gender identities. Stew-
a proposal on Friday that art's bill counts support
aims to achieve both goals. from the Church of Jesus
The bill that Utah GOP Rep. Christ of Latter-day Saints
Chris Stewart plans to un- and the Seventh-day Ad-
veil would shield LGBTQ ventist Church, but it has

In this Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 file photo, Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, a member of the House
Intelligence Committee, leaves a meeting with national intelligence inspector general Michael
Atkinson about a whistleblower complaint, at the Capitol in Washington.
Associated Press

yet to win a backer among der identity, Democrats in "We have taken back the
House Democrats who Congress and running for religious liberty principle
unanimously supported president are pushing for a from extremists who I think
a more expansive LGBTQ federal statute that would do want to do harm to LG-
rights measure in May. provide broader protec- BTQ people and minority
But the uphill climb for his tions. rights," said Tyler Deaton, a
plan doesn't daunt Stew- But that more sweeping senior adviser to the Ameri-
art, who sees the bill as a bill's chances of passage can Unity Fund, a nonprofit
way to "bridge that gap" are low unless Democrats supporting Stewart's bill
between preventing dis- take back full control of that seeks to build conser-
crimination and allowing Congress as well as the vative support for LGBTQ
religion to inform individual White House, given Presi- rights. Deaton added that
decisions. dent Donald Trump's op- some religious conserva-
"I don't know many people position and Republican tive groups who were con-
who wake up and say 'I critics who warn of a risk to sulted on the bill ultimately
want to discriminate'. Most religious freedom. chose not to endorse it.
people find that offensive," That prospect has informed Despite that resistance
Stewart told The Associ- Stewart and outside from some on the right,
ated Press. "There are peo- groups' work on a proposal Stewart's bill sparked sharp
ple who, and I'm included to enshrine rights for the LG- criticism from progressives
among them, have reli- BTQ community while also who decry its exemptions
gious convictions that put preserving the right for reli- as large enough to enable
them in a bind about how gious groups to act in ac- ongoing mistreatment of
to reconcile those two prin- cordance with their faiths. LGBTQ individuals.
ciples." Among other faith-based "We need to address the
The Utah lawmaker's leg- exemptions to anti-discrimi- real and pervasive prob-
islation comes as the Su- nation protections in the bill lem that is discrimination
preme Court prepares to is an allowance for religious against LGBTQ people, and
rule on cases that touch groups such as churches everyone should come to
squarely on the issue of and schools to employ the table to address the
employment discrimina- those who align with their problem," said Laura Durso,
tion against LGBTQ people, internal guidelines, accord- a vice president at the left-
who currently do not re- ing to a summary provided leaning Center for Ameri-
ceive specific protection in in advance of its release. can Progress.
federal civil rights laws. The bill also would prohibit "But what we cannot do is
While 21 states have laws religious groups that op- treat LGBTQ people as sec-
that bar employment dis- pose same-sex marriage ond-class citizens by creat-
crimination based on sex- from having their tax-ex- ing carve-outs that enable
ual orientation and gen- empt status revoked. discrimination."q