By Carole Hornsby Haynes March 21, 2021
The Equality Act (HR 5) is not about equality.
It is about destroying our entire culture, denying biological truth, and giving SPECIAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES to sexual “orientation” and “gender.”
The Equality Act is a radical piece of legislation that severely restricts our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association.
LGBTQ people have rights under our Constitution. Yet this bill will carve out SPECIAL RIGHTS for them, negatively impacting churches, religious institutions, schools, public facilities, etc.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 will be amended to include sexual orientation with gender identity as a protected class under federal law. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act will be repealed.
The radical Equality Act requires compliance from every church, school, medical provider, pastor, teacher, landlord, business, employee, parent – indeed, everyone. Anyone providing a “good, service or program” must comply. It even applies to social media, an occasional sale or purchase online, to every website or online profile, and every email sent out.
Using the wrong pronoun or name can result in loss of a job or a fine.
Families Denied Services
The following story shows how carving out special rights for a protected class violates our First Amendment rights. A recent newsletter from Chairman of the Board of Liberty Counsel Action Mat Staver reported that,
“An autistic child is being denied necessary services because his family refused to allow a crossdresser to work with him in their home. Now this 8-year-old boy’s parents, both ministers, are being forced to choose between their child’s care or their Christian faith.
“….Crossdressers, pedophiles and paraphiliacs will be in a protected class with special rights—and this bill will empower LGBT & Q and abortion over anything else—including this family and their autistic son
“….Ministers like Susan and her husband will be forced to hire crossdressers and people with any other of the nearly 550 sexual paraphilias, and in the case of this family, even allowing access in your home to your vulnerable special-needs child. Refusal can result not just in loss of services but also in lawsuits from the deviant as well as the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Section 2(12) in the Equality Act states that people can sue based on their “perceptions or beliefs.”
Equality Act in Texas Bills
Numerous bills have been filed in the current Texas legislative session with intent like the Equality Act. An “aggrieved” person can sue if he perceives that he has been – or will be – injured because of some “discrimination” over “sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.”
When searching the Texas Legislative website for bills about sexual orientation or gender identity, literally dozens pop up. Here are just a few: SB 1309 – HB 2524 – SB 233 / HB 188.
- Targeted for compliance are public accommodations including goods, services, privilege, accommodations, and facilities (biological males could access girls/women’s bathrooms/dressing rooms). This will include schools, medical providers, teachers, landlords, and businesses. Publications, education, housing, insurance, contractor services, state and local government – indeed, every area of Texas business and life will be required to comply.
- Religious organizations for profit will have to comply.
- Using the wrong pronoun or name can result in loss of a job or a fine or punishment.
We can expect lawsuits at the state level as well as at the federal level. If a business declines hiring a transgender because another candidate is better qualified for the job, we can expect numerous lawsuits with “injury” claims due to “discrimination.”
If these bills are passed, the Texas Constitution will be amended to give special rights and privileges for sexual orientation and gender identity. Our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association will be severely restricted.
What You Can Do To Stop These Bills!
- Contact your Texas state representative and senator to STOP bills that give special privileges and rights to “sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.”
For telephone and social media contact information for your Texas State Representative and Senator, go to Texas Scorecard Directory by clicking here.