Tri-State Freethinkers object to proposed bill H.R.2802 First Amendment Defense Act, which “Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.”
While the title of the bill suggests that it champions the protections outlined in the First Amendment, a read through the bill’s text reveals that it does anything but. To put it simply, proponents of this bill do not want to be “discriminated” against for discriminating against same-sex couples or individuals who have sexual relations outside of marriage. This bill would effectively tie the government’s hands behind its back, preventing it from taking legal action against any individual or organization, employed by the government or receiving federal grants, that chooses to discriminate against the aforementioned groups.
The proposed bill takes one element of religion and elevates it to secular law. It singles out for special protection only a person who believes, speaks, or acts in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of two individuals of the opposite sex; or extramarital relations are improper. By providing special rights and benefits for a narrow type of speech, the bill violates the Free Speech Clause requirement that government regulations of private speech be viewpoint-neutral.
The First Amendment Defense Act is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause and the Free Speech Clause of the Bill of Rights. It would allow one’s religious belief or moral conviction to blatantly relegate LGBT communities to the status of second class citizens. Congress should instead work to protect the rights of all citizens, including nontheists and those in the LGBT community.
Full text of the bill can be found here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2802
TAKE ACTION
Contact your representative now to voice your opposition to this bill FADA (H.R. 2802) http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Tri-State Freethinkers is a social, academic, and activist group with over 1600 members in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. They are advocates for equal rights and the separation of church and state. They empower members to make positive change by giving back to the community. They encourage critical thinking and decisions based on facts, logic and reason, not superstitions, myths, or dogma. Tri-State Freethinkers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
