The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a press release on Saturday maintaining its opposition to the Equality Act and endorsing deputy Chris Stewart’s alternative bill, which he says will protect both LGBTQ rights and religious freedom.
“We maintain our 2019 statements and reiterate the Church’s support for equality and justice,” the statement said. “We could support legislation that provides protection for LGBT people, as well as religious people and institutions. Both are possible and clearly necessary in a just society. “
In 2019, the Utah-based religion said it was concerned that the Equality Act, which is designed to protect LGBTQ rights at the federal level, did not safeguard religious freedom. The church warned that the act would impose secular standards on religious activities, reduce funding for religious charities and devastate religious education.
Stewart said his proposal would also protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment and housing, while allowing schools to follow religious standards without being fined and small business owners to refuse to participate in activities contrary to their beliefs.
Gay and civil rights groups said Stewart’s bill would reverse existing protections that prevent discrimination based on race and sex.
The Equality Act is back on the table this year. It passed the House, but it is seen as unlikely to pass a divided Senate. Stewart also reintroduced his bill.
The LDS Church reaffirmed on Saturday that it supports measures that protect LGBT people, as well as individuals and religious institutions.
“The church supports legislation, such as that presented by Rep. Chris Stewart, which meets these two critical requirements,” she said, “and is confident that a balanced, fair and unifying approach can be achieved.”
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