McClatchy
News reports on the recent
Congressional hearings on “transgender employment discrimination.” So-called anti-discrimination legislation
would be a dangerous restriction on religious liberty. Excerpt:
Opposing the legislation, Glen Lavy, an
attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said it would be a mistake to define
gender identity or gender expression as a protected class. He said that
objections to "the concept of transgender" are based on religious
beliefs and that forcing the idea as a valid concept "is like forcing an
Orthodox Jew to eat pork." And he said that employers would have
difficulty enforcing dress codes and assuring privacy.
"With gender identity being totally
subjective, who could challenge any male who says he wants to use a woman's
restroom?" Lavy asked.
Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, the
top-ranking Republican on the committee, questioned whether Congress needs to
get involved at all.
"We have numerous federal and state
laws and employer policies already on the books that help prevent
discriminatory practices," he said. "Do we need yet another federal
law?"