Is a federal agency encouraging discrimination against employees who support gay rights?
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The Trump administration is never idle when it comes to attacking civil rights—from the smallest regulation to the most pivotal court case. A new directive from the Department of Labor proves it. xNEW: We have learned of a new Department of Labor directiIs a federal agency encouraging discrimination against employees who support gay rights?
The Trump administration is never idle when it comes to attacking civil rights—from the smallest regulation to the most pivotal court case. A new directive from the Department of Labor proves it. xNEW: We have learned of a new Department of Labor directive, encouraging federal contractors to discriminate against their LGBTQ employees. More, and our statement, in the thread below— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) August 13, 2018 The directive is a dinner bell of sorts: Come one, come all, religious organizations—no matter your views or how often you’ve been termed a “hate group.” They cannot «condition the availability of [opportunities] upon a recipient's willingness to surrender his [or her] religiously impelled status.» That, friends, is language from Trinity Lutheran, the Supreme Court case that found Missouri cannot disqualify religious institutions from grant programs based on the fact of their religiosity. This administration is intent on twisting that decision: It wants to clothe the right to discriminate in the protections afforded religious status, or religiosity. Essentially, they claim that being excluded for holding an anti-LGBTQ stance, and being excluded for being a religious institution, are the same. This toxic directive makes clear that the Department of Labor’s not going to be acting on any discrimination issues, save those they characterize as based on the complainant’s religion. I chose “characterize” carefully. Why? Because the scariest part of the document is, to me, this little bullet: They «cannot act in a manner that passes judgment upon or presupposes the illegitimacy of religious beliefs and practices» and must «proceed in a manner neutral toward and tolerant of ... religious beliefs.» Read more