Earlier this month, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, through his spokesperson, told Buzzfeed they plan to reintroduce an embattled bill that barely gained a House hearing in 2015. But this time around, they said, the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) was likely to succeed due to a Republican-controlled House and the backing of President-elect Donald Trump.
FADA would prohibit the federal government from taking “discriminatory action” against any business or person that discriminates against LGBTQ people. The act distinctly aims to protect the right of all entities to refuse service to LGBTQ people based on two sets of beliefs: “(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.”
So not only does this bill contradict Obergfell, it wants to make gay sex illegal.
Ironically, the language of the bill positions the right to discriminate against one class of Americans as a “first amendment” right, and bans the government from taking any form of action to curb such discrimination—including withholding federal funds from institutions that discriminate. FADA allows individuals and businesses to sue the federal government for interfering in their right to discriminate against LGBTQ people and would mandate the Attorney General defend the businesses.
And yes. THIS IS A REAL BILL. The Rethuglicans tried pushing for it in June 2015 and it failed. Now, with majorities in both houses of Congress and a promise of an ultra-conservative on the Supreme Court for the next thirty to forty years, they’re planning on shoving it through.
It’s unconstitutional and it’s fucking evil, and the bigots and the bigot-elect don’t care. They want to hurt LGBTQ people, and if they have to break the law of the land to do it, they will.
Here is a page with the names of the current co-assholes–I mean, the co-SPONSORS–of this bill, along with the dates that they signed on as sponsors. The presence of an asterisk indicates an original co-sponsor. The links provide addresses and phone numbers at which you can contact them.
First Amendment Defense Act would be ‘devastating’ for LGBTQ Americans
Meg's Mumbles 