We’ve been talking about it for a while now, warning of the vast ramifications of passing the Equality Act. Yesterday, the U.S. House passed the radical legislation mostly along party lines with a vote of 224-206. If passed by the Senate, President Biden has vowed to sign it, effectively erasing the legal differences between male and female in the public sphere.

The Equality Act is anything but an act of equality. It adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes in the 1964 civil Rights Act.

If that simply protected Americans from unjust discrimination, we would be celebrating. But, as Ryan T. Anderson explains, it effectively forces all businesses, health care facilities, non-profit organizations, anyone providing a service or program, to embrace the government’s ideology of human sexuality. Even religious institutions, including schools and adoption agencies, would be coerced into violating their faith’s claims of human sexuality and marriage, or face government sanctions.

This has massive consequences for believers of many mainstream faiths, but also for girls and women. The Equality Act mandates men have access to women’s locker rooms, showers, restrooms, domestic violence shelters, etc.  This means a ten-year-old girl changing for swim class will be forced to endure the presence of a man in her private space, and he could very well be her competition in her swim meet. The Equality Act sees no difference between girls and boys who identify as girls, even on the track field, the basketball court, or in the pool.

Because the Equality Act would erase distinctions between the sexes, it presents pro-abortion activists an opportunity to finagle an argument for wiping out nearly every commonsense restriction on abortion under the label “pregnancy discrimination.” Read more about the effects the Equality Act would have on abortion regulations here.

Emilie Kao of Heritage Foundation explains the risks to our children and our parental rights when government limits options to strictly gender identity affirming health care, meaning dangerous puberty blocking hormones and irreversible surgery.

Promise to Protect Children

We are far from alone in resisting this radical move, and we can fight back. We can all contact our U.S. Senators and voice our opposition. Parents can commit to protecting their children from this extreme agenda, and lawmakers can ensure the same. Join me in signing the Promise to America’s Children. Find out more on the Promise to America’s Children website and pledge to get involved.

The parents and policymakers involved in the “promise” are committed to protecting children’s minds, bodies, and relationships with their parents. Parents, see your part here. See what lawmakers can do here.

The pledge includes:

• Protecting children from exposure to pornography, explicit content, and promotion of abortion and gender ideology in the classroom.
• Supporting children’s ability to pursue counseling that affirms their biological sex.
• Protecting children in sex-specific areas such as showers and locker rooms.
• Upholding girls’ opportunities to compete on their own playing field in sports.
• Protecting parental rights, including at school.

The full list is available here.

Expect more calls to action and opportunities to get involved as the Equality Act now moves to the U.S. Senate.

On a Local Level

The City of Mesa will vote Monday night on a city version of the Equality Act. The Mesa version undermines constitutional freedoms of speech and religion, threatens women’s and girls’ privacy and safety, and limits religious organizations serving in Mesa. I testified against the ordinance this week. The ordinance needs significant work. Should the ordinance be adopted, it’s very likely that Mesa citizens would launch a drive to refer the measure to the ballot. The Council’s final vote is scheduled for next Monday, March 1.

Legislative update – Don’t get caught by surprise at a new state law. Listen to my latest podcast on key bills making their way through the process at the State Capitol, and how they will impact you. Click here to hear the podcast.

HB 2744 – is one of a number of bills that would infringe on religious rights and the privacy of girls and women under the guise of nondiscrimination.

ICYMI

• Read the findings of a Charlotte Lozier Institute report on the sweeping impact of passing the Equality Act.
• Read here why President Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary faces heavy opposition from U.S. lawmakers.
• Ben Shapiro warns of a push to further silence dissenting opinions on public forums.