Authored Special ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill to ‘Defend’ Christians From Same-Sex Marriage
A U.S. Senator is speaking out in opposition after the House of Representatives Friday afternoon passed the historic Equality Act. The legislation expands existing civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ people in areas including employment, housing, banking and credit, education, public accommodations, federally-funded programs, and jury service.
Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, who won his seat as the Tea Party movement rose to power, took time Friday to attack the passage of the Equality Act, which won just eight Republican votes in the House.
And he’s getting scorched, mocked, and slammed for remarks.
Lee in December blocked the renomination of a lesbian to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and said her views on marriage were “radical.”
Today he says the legislation, which heads to the Senate but has little chance of being brought to the floor for a vote, is unnecessary – that LGBT people don’t need protection because Americans are becoming more “tolerant.”
Lee, a religious extremist, thinks legislation protecting certain groups of people is “counterproductive” and divisive. Yet the Supreme Court was getting ready to rule that same-sex couples have the right to marry, he authored a bill providing special religious rights to people of faith to allow them to discriminate against LGBT people, and especially same-sex couples.
Lee’s sweeping First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) would have allowed employers to deny spousal and parental rights, including those given under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. It would also allow non-profits and even government contractors the right to discriminate against anyone who is LGBT.
Senator Lee, who once was rumored to be on President Donald Trump’s list of possible Supreme Court nominees, opposes same-sex marriage. He’s said so very clearly: “I do not support gay marriage.”
Here’s how some are responding to Senator Lee’s remarks on the Equality Act:
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