Today, Congressman Chris Stewart (UT-02) reintroduced the Fairness for All Act (FFA). This legislation aims to protect everyone’s dignity in public spaces. It harmonizes religious freedom and LGBT rights by amending the Civil Rights Act, protecting religious freedom in the workplace, protecting the rights of LGBT individuals, and preserving 1st amendment rights.
“It is hard to really love our neighbors when we are fighting with them over whose rights are more important. This country can accommodate both civil liberties for LGBT individuals & religious freedom. We have wasted enough time, energy, and money fighting over who deserves which legal protections. It is time to define the federal protections for our LGBT and religious friends and neighbors.” – Rep. Chris Stewart
Statements of Support:
“I’m grateful for Rep. Stewart’s work to find a nuanced and good faith policy that both protects religious freedom and the rights of LGBTQ individuals to be free from discrimination. This is the type of commonsense solution that Utah does best.” – Utah Governor Spencer Cox
“Alliance for Lasting Liberty, a bipartisan coalition that supports LGBT civil rights and religious freedom for Americans of all faiths.
The Fairness for All Act introduced today by Representative Stewart and 20 others is the balanced, common-sense legislation that once and for all establishes much-needed civil rights for LGBT persons, and at the same time provides robust protections for religious freedom.
No American should lose their home or job simply for being LGBT and likewise religious persons and institutions should be protected in practicing their faith.
This legislation shows that LGBT rights and religious freedom do not have to be in conflict. Instead, we can come together to protect all Americans and unify the country on what has for too long been a divisive issue.”– Alliance for Lasting Liberty Coalition
More about “Fairness for All”:
FFA is the largest expansion of religious freedom and LGBT civil rights under federal law in a generation. It continues what began in Utah and builds upon existing protections for both religious and LGBT Americans in federal, state, and local law.
No American should lose their home or job simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. All religious persons should be free to live, work or serve their community in ways that are consistent with their faith.
FFA preserves the Religious Freedom Restoration Act so it can continue to protect the First Amendment right of all persons to freely exercise their religion.
FFA protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment and housing. It also prohibits LGBT discrimination in a place of public accommodation and significantly expands the definition of a public accommodation under federal law.
This bill protects the tax-exempt status of religious organizations and religious colleges and universities. It also protects the right of religious colleges and universities—like Brigham Young University, Bethel University and Catholic University—to uphold their religious standards without jeopardizing the ability of their students to get Pell Grants or of their professors to compete for federal research contracts.
FFA protects the owners of small businesses whose religious and moral principles prevent them from participating in activities that are contrary to their conscience and beliefs.
It protects LGBT Americans from discrimination in jury selection, credit and federally assisted programs.
Lastly, this legislation protects religious adoption and foster care agencies so they can continue to serve vulnerable children and willing couples, while at the same time ensuring the ability of LGBT persons to adopt and foster children too. Putting the interests of needy children first, the FFA Act expands adoption and foster care by including all qualified potential parents.
Alliance for Lasting Liberty Coalition: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, American Unity Fund, Center for Public Justice, 1st Amendment Partnership, The Seventh-day Adventist Church, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, and others.
Cosponsors: Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Rep. John Curtis (UT-03), Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-02), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Rep. Blake Moore (UT-01), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Rep. Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Rep. Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-22), Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Rep. Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Rep. Maria Salazar (FL-27), Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (FL-25), Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), and Rep. Tom Reed (NY-23).
