By John Mack Freeman
Numerous presidential candidates have taken anti-LGBT stances in the last week.
Senator Ted Cruz and former Governor Mike Huckabee (both Republican candidates for President) have both made promises that would make the First Amendment Defense Act a priority in their first hundred days in office if they were elected president. This bill would provide for a federal “religious freedom” law that would allow individuals to discriminate against others based on their religious beliefs. These laws are commonly held to be ways in which people can discriminate against LGBT people as has been seen in numerous states throughout the United States. Via Washington Blade:
Critics say the legislation would go further and enable anti-LGBT discrimination — as well as potential bias against single mothers and unmarried couples. Among other things, it would allow government workers to refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and compromise President Obama’s executive order barring federal contractors from engaging in anti-LGBT bias.
Both candidates also took the opportunity to rail against transgender people in response to a question about an Illinois school district reaching an agreement with the Department of Education to enable a transgender student to use a locker room consistent with her gender identity.
Another GOP candidate for President Senator Marco Rubio told the Christian Broadcast Network that he would overturn marriage equality by executive order if he were elected. You can watch it here:
