Proposed Equality Act of 2021 (H.R.5)

Let me quote from and then subsequently comment the article from the Heritage Foundation (11 Myths About H.R. 5, the Equality Act of 2021, published on 2/24/21). Let me quote from the Article: "SUMMARY: The proposed Equality Act of 2021 (H.R.5) would make mainstream beliefs about marriage, biological facts about sex differences, and many sincerely held beliefs punishable under law. The Equality Act makes discrimination the law of the land by forcing Americans to conform to government-mandated beliefs under the threat of life-ruining financial and criminal penalties. Presented as a bill with commonsense and decent protections against discrimination, H.R.5 is anything but. The Equality Act politicizes medicine and education and demolishes existing civil rights and constitutional freedom." My response: "This bill is brutal to free thinking, free speech advocacy, moving us deeper towards tyranny, and farther away from liberty. It is an unconscionable power grab by the Democrats and the Left. Let me quote from the Article: "KEY TAKEAWAYS: Every person should be treated with dignity, and no one should face discrimination. But the Equality Act makes discrimination the law of the land. The so-called Equality Act is anything but. It would give government the power to dictate how Americans think and act regarding gender and sex. This bill violates Americans' constitutional freedoms and weaponizes civil rights law to punish those who do not hold 'correct beliefs. My response: this bill is another push by the Marxist conservative voices from opposing their radical, authoritarian, pseudoscientific, social justice legislation outlawing free opinions about gender issues. It must never become the law of the land. Let me quote Myth 1: "Myth 1: The Equality Act Simply Punishes Discrimination Against People Who Identify as Gay or Transgender. FACT: The Equality Act . . . makes mainstream beliefs about marriage, as well as basic biological facts about sex differences, punishable under the law . . . The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed state-sanctioned discrimination that caused economic and material harm to black Americans. The Equality Act is different: It forces every Americans to agree with controversial government-imposed ideology on sexuality or be treated an an outlaw. The Equality Act demolishes existing civil rights and constitutional freedoms." My response: It is outrageous and bad public policy to force Americans to think a certain way (or else) about gender issues, overriding their opposition, their existing civil rights and their constitutional freedoms. This cannot be allowed. Let me quote Myth 2: "The Equality Act Preserves Religious Freedom FACT: The Equality Act guts the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and threatens constitutional freedoms by eliminating conscience protections from the Civil Rights Act. If enacted, H.R.5 would force employers, medical professionals, educators and religious organizations to allow men into women's shelters, pay for or perform sex-change operations, engage in speech’s that violates their consciences. Faith-based adoption and foster care agencies would be forced to violate their belief that every child deserves a mother and father. Section 2(a)(2) of the bill refers to the belief that marriage is between a man and a woman as a 'sex stereotype.' This stigmatizes the beliefs of hundreds of millions of Americans, including Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews, Mormons, and Muslims'" My response: Why should we enshrine in law such legal discrimination and criminalization of ethically and religiously held beliefs of millions of Americans? This bill is so totalitarian, evil and filled with ideology and junk science that it must be scrapped immediately. Let me quote Myth 3 from the article: "Myth 3: The Equality Act Does Not Expand the Scope of Federal Civil Right Law FACT: By expanding the definition of 'public accommodations' under Title II of the Civil Rights Act to include 'any establishment that provides a good, service, or program, including a store, shopping center, online retailer or service provider . . . many more individuals and establishments would, in fact, become liable to discrimination claims, including doctors who do not want to perform abortions." My response: There is over-weaponization of discrimination legislation already and expanding governmental legal bullying of private citizens is unacceptable and unwise. Let me quote Myth 4 from the Article: "Myth 4: The Equality Act is Irrelevant to Abortion. FACT: H.R.5 endangers unborn children. The Equality At opens the door to taxpayer funding for elective abortions, which the vast majority of Americans oppose, regardless of political affiliation. The bill does not contain any conscience protections for those with oral or religious objections to paying for or performing abortions. It also takes away judicial relief by blocking claims based on RFRA. My Response: Legal abortion should be allowed by rare, and none should pay for or perform abortions which they refer to as murder. This piece of garbage legislation makes legal an evil practice. Let me quote from the article on Myth 5: "Myth 5: The Equality Act Is Good for Women and Upholds Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, Which Prohibits Sex Discrimination Against Girls and Women. FACT: The Equality Act changes to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act do not uphold Title IX of the 1972 Educations Amendments Act. Gender-identity policies will require biological males to be permitted to participate in female-only activities. In sports, the physical bodies of biological males (even after two years on estrogen) put them at an obvious unfair advantage over female athletes, who are losing out on opportunities and scholarships designed for girls and women . . ." My response: Boys should not be competing in girls’ sports events, and this over-correction for one group is achieving by reintroducing an unlevel playing field in women sports. Why anyone would promote this bill just sickens me. Let me quote from the article on Myth 6: "Myth 6: Safety and Privacy in Sex-Specific Spaces Will Not Be Diminished. FACT: All single-sex spaces will be open to both sexes under the Equality Act. My response: This is about as sick as it gets. Letting men and boys into girls' locker rooms. Why? Let me quote from the article on Myth 7: "Myth 7: The Equality Act Treats All Students Fairly, Promotes Inclusion, and Cannot Affect School Curricula. FACT: By adding sexual orientation and gender identity rules to the Civil Rights Act’s Title IV on 'desegregation of public education,' the Equality Act could pave the way for K12 federal courts to require sexual orientation and gender-identity curricula the same way they required black history curricula. All children deserve respect. Imposing one political viewpoint on students about gender and sexual orientation stigmatizes and excludes those who hold disfavored (read mainstream) views. My response: this gender and equity theory is junk science and to force it down the throats of innocent children is an abomination to not be tolerated. Let me quote from the article on Myth 8: "Myth 8: Doctors Will Not Be Forced to Perform Sex-Change Operations or Prescribes Hormones for 'Gender Affirmation'. FACT: As a result of expanding definition of public accommodations, as well as changing federal funding requirements, doctors (and counselors) could be punished for treating gender dysphoria according to their own best medical judgment." My response: Doctors need freedom of conscience legal protection to prevent their being legal sued or punished for their decisions of conscience. Let me quote from the article on Myth 9: "Parental Right Will Remain Unchanged. FACT: The Equality Act's politicization of medicine and education through gender ideology will undermine parental rights" My response: no law based on pseudo scene and ideology should be allowed to undermine what parents think is best for their children suffering from gender dysphoria, including demanding the child undergo therapy rather than have sex change and hormonal injections despite parental objections. Parents should decide for their chad’s welfare, not the government or transgender activists. Let me quote from the article on Myth 10: "The Equality Act Helps Children in Need of Foster Homes and Adoption. FACT: The Equality Act hurts vulnerable children by punishing faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies that believe every child deserves both and mother and a father and that the children's bodies should be irreversibly harmed by hormonal or surgical interventions due to gender dysphoria." My response: it is difficult enough to find adoption agencies and foster care agencies to care for children in need, let alone fighting faith-based assumption that each child deserves and requires a mother and father. God told them so, and the State should not move against such God-commanded treatment of children as boys and girls with a mom and dad. Let me quote from the article on Myth 11: The Supreme Court's Decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, Requires the Equity Act Change to Civil Rights Law. FACT: The Equality Act goes far beyond the Supreme Court's 2020 Bostock ruling. While Bostock invented a misguided theory of sex discrimination in employment, law, it did not redefine 'sex' as to include sexual orientation and gender identity. But the Equality Act does . . . the Equality Act adds 'sexual orientation and gender identity' to all the nation’s civil rights law." My response: do we need this sexist and racist legislation added to all civil rights law? No.