Orrin Hatch: “while the proponents of this bill have tried to minimize the potential impact of the bill, the fact is that, if it…”

“while the proponents of this bill have tried to minimize the potential impact of the bill, the fact is that, if it passes, the public and private employers of America subject to title VII will face the juggernaut of the Federal enforcement machinery. Anyone who contends that this bill will not result in a litigation boom is not paying attention to the caseloads at the EEOC and Department of Justice. Let me say, once again, that equating opposition to this bill with opposition to civil rights measures for racial and ethnic minorities and women is totally unfair and serves only to divert attention away from the ramifications of the bill before us, which I described in my opening remarks. Moreover, it equates conduct with immutable characteristics. I think General Powell's comments, which I also cited earlier, on this equation are well worth considering. Some proponents of this bill bundle off concern by parents and educators about role models in the schools as nothing more than bigotry. But no answer was voiced to the examples I mentioned earlier about a heterosexual male teacher publicly displaying physical affection for a spouse or girlfriend, and a homosexual teacher publicly displaying physical affection for a male partner. Should Congress force a school district to treat both teachers the same? The proponents of the bill say yes. I say no.”