Opinion
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May 20, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Well, they did it. Nancy Pelosi’s rogue lawmakers passed the anti-Christian, anti-health, anti-morality, anti-child “Equality Act” (H.R. 5). And so now it heads to the Senate.

Where timid, compromised Republicans wait to offer amendments they can hide behind. We can hope Mitch McConnell never brings this bill to the floor.

But watchfulness is needed. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) is chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Keep an eye on Rob Portman (Ohio); Mitt Romney (Utah); Richard Burr (N.C.); Susan Collins (Maine); possibly Martha McSally (Ariz.); and of course, Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). There’s more than enough to worry about.

And Trump has stated he has reservations but has not committed to a veto.

But hold on. Maybe there are amendments that would make H.R. 5 (and its Senate version, S. 788) acceptable. Here’s a possible list:

1. Let’s see an amendment that upholds religious liberty: “Nothing in this act will infringe upon the First Amendment religious freedom rights of any citizen, nor bar RFRA (the Religious Freedom Restoration Act) as a defense for a cause of action.”

The Human Rights Campaign along with Joe Biden calls religious objections “a license to discriminate.” But let’s not worry about them as we remove a bit of  totalitarianism from S. 788.

Let’s continue, because much, much more is needed.

2. In the spirit of truth over mythology, let’s amend the bill’s definitions with a crucial clarification: “Nothing in this bill is to imply that ‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer’ (‘LGBTQ’) behaviors are immutable like race. Fourteenth Amendment defenses are therefore inapplicable. Nor are those who identify as ex-homosexuals or ex-transgenders to be subject to unconstitutional First Amendment or civil rights’ violations.”

But wait! There’s more.

3. Another amendment should remove all barriers to counseling choice. Period. The act at present would accelerate bans on talk therapy (pejoratively labeled “conversion therapy”) for all teens and even adults. The act labels such help “discrimination.”

Because no one ever chooses this counseling willingly, right? No teen in the history of the world has ever logically observed that human bodies don’t fit “LGBT” or “Q” behaviors and then sought freedom from disordered desires. If a teen undergoes counseling to overcome homosexual attractions or gender confusion, it’s always under heavy pressure by redneck, right-wing, Bible-thumping parents, right?

Incorrect. Without such therapy, one writer says he would have killed himself as a teen.

But we are not done.

4. “It shall not be considered an act of ‘discrimination’ under this Act to reveal in a classroom or for other educational purposes, the high risks and medical consequences of ‘LGBTQ’ behaviors. This may include citing HIV/AIDS surveillance data on ‘males who have sex with males’ or the high correlation found in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC) in 9th to 12th graders who identify as ‘gay, lesbian or bisexual’ with early sexual activity, substance abuse and other behavioral risk factors; or by noting the potential health hazards of opposite-sex hormones on adolescent growth and development; or the overall negative outcomes of a ‘transgender’ identity, including the higher prevalence of suicide ideation.”

Let’s continue that line of thought:

5. Concerning parental rights, one amendment should allow parents to remove their children from any school discussion of “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” And if lesson plans feature condoms; chemical castration; oral and anal sex; and all the deviant elements the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) insists belong in an “inclusive” sex ed curriculum, parents and also school boards have the right to bring these lessons to a halt without being labeled as bigots and haters, being trashed in the local media, having their phone numbers given out so they and their children get threatening phone calls, or having their employers contacted so they get fired.

Speaking of endangering other people, there’s another action needed:

6. The Equality Act could definitely use an amendment that removes the entire “transgender” (“T”)  sub-group of the “LGBTQ” coalition. Isn’t it kind of an albatross? The whole “non-discrimination” measure would be sleeker and speedier minus disputes about bathrooms, female sports, women’s shelters, and the obvious dangers to women (and sanity) that some progressives suddenly don’t see.

And as the gender rebellion lobby screams from coast to coast, let’s deal with the assault on biology and the unborn.

7. Clarification: “Nothing in this bill is to be construed as overturning federal restrictions on abortion funding, or altering current definitions of ‘sex’ in federal law. This definition shall continue to rely on biological sex as determined at birth.”

And:

8. “An employee shall not be found to have committed employment discrimination as a result any of the following: social media postings outside  work time, profession of evangelical Christian faith, unwillingness to verbally affirm ‘LGBTQ’ behaviors or same-sex unions, starting an employee group for Christians or conservatives, professing support for a known conservative political figure, or for refusing to be a vendor for a same-sex ceremony or other homosexuality-affirming event.”

We cannot forget to add this one:

9. “‘Public accommodations’ in this bill are not to include church facilities, church property, religious organizations, synagogues, or any church camp or faith-based wedding venue. Public accommodations are not to include schools, youth-related organizations, camps, or any locale where children or teens gather, because of the documented adverse effects and destabilizing influence of homosexuality and gender confusion on youth.”

Last but not least:

10. “Nothing in this act shall prevent a health care professional from refusing to provide puberty-blocking medications to nine-year-olds, or from refusing to prescribe testosterone to teen girls or estrogen to teen boys, or from declining participation in surgery to amputate the healthy breasts of 13-year-old girls, or the penises of 16- year-old boys. Health care conscience freedom is not to be infringed by the inequalities embedded in the ‘Equality Act.’”

Okay, I might be dreaming — but then, I dream of an America where homosexuals and gender anarchists are not in charge.

What’s left in H.R. 5/S. 788? It’s been pretty well stripped bare. That’s perfectly okay with me and millions of other Americans.

Linda Harvey is president of Mission America.