Yvette Herrell: “I first want to agree with the bill's sponsor from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) that discrimination is wrong. He went on…”

“I first want to agree with the bill's sponsor from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) that discrimination is wrong. He went on to say the bill, H.R. 5, does no more and does no less than to give LGBTQ people the respect and equality they deserve. But I disagree because the bill moves us far beyond nondiscrimination and toward a place of one side over another. It eliminates mutual respect. Mr. Speaker, we can't be so anxious to protect one class of people that we harm another. For instance, the bill forces churches in the public square to do things that counter their deeply held beliefs. It moves our Nation away from our Judeo-Christian values. It places women in sports, in domestic shelters, and in the healthcare profession at risk. It allows government to take an even more drastic step of making decisions that should be reserved for our families. The Equality Act is anything but. Let's not be fooled by the title. It would, likewise, force both people and organizations in many everyday life and work settings to speak or act in support of gender transition, including healthcare workers and licensed counselors, even when it is against their professional judgment. The Equality Act would force healthcare providers to perform abortions and gender transition surgeries against their deeply held religious beliefs. That is not equality.…”