NRO:
Whether it is stubbornness against the protests of Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor, or the errant adoption of such phrases as “freedom of worship” in place of “freedom of religion,” the White House seems determined to apportion out the exercise of religion according to how it sees fit.
Today, the White House went farther down this path, signing an executive order inserting the categories of gender identity to preexisting federal workforce discrimination laws, while also banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for employees of federal contractors.
According to the text, the order will have no broad religious exemption, despite calls for such from a broad coalition of religious leaders (no doubt a decision influenced by the protests of key gay-rights activist groups). Instead, it amends Executive Order 11246 protecting federal contractors’ employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It also adds gender identity as a protected category under Executive Order 11478, a federal workforce nondiscrimination order. President George W. Bush had previously amended executive order 11246 in 2002, giving federal contractors with religious affiliation the right to prioritize religion in the hiring process. The Bush amendment remains in place.
Of course, the executive order is not without its problems.
Today’s actions demonstrate the continued, cavalier disregard for religious liberty emanating from the Obama White House. Any talk of religious liberty coming from this administration continues to be mere lip service. Add this to the parade of horribles that already includes the coercive HHS Mandate.
The full implications of the executive order aren’t entirely known. While the effects of the order could prove to be limited given the unknown number of religiously oriented federal contractors, activists who favored the executive order don’t care. While favoring more expansive LGBT workplace protections, activists are willing to accept incremental gains where they can get them.
The White House’s executive order is a tactical move to bring what will surely be further sweeping regulations, such as the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), into law. Today’s actions hasten the coming marginalization of institutions such as Gordon College, a Massachusetts college facing scrutiny after its president, Michael Lindsay, affixed his name to a letter with other religious leaders asking for broad exemption within the executive order.
There seems to be a profound ignorance or perhaps disregard of “disregarding religious liberty” vrs using tax payers dollars to subsidize discrimination. If federal contractors want to profit from American tax dollars, it stands to reason that rules are set in place that tax payers, regardless of religion, sex, race, and yes, sexual preferences should qualify for those jobs or at least not be disqualified for those reasons. They are after all the very sponcers of the contractors. They are footing the bill. You might say, they built that.
Now, if these federal contractors have a problem with that and/or it conflicts witht their religious beliefs, they’re certainly free to utilize their rights to decline those government contracts and perhaps open a shop selling chicken sandwiches or slave wage China trinkets where they can discriminate at will.
@Ronald J. Ward: So, then the federal government should be able to discriminate against women owned companies, minority companies, and any company they want to discriminate against? What happened to the 1st amendment? I prevents the federal government from discriminating based upon religion. You lefties only believe in the constitution when it benefits you.
@Randy: I don’t mean to harp on grammar or fat fingered typos as lord knows I make my share but I’m seriously struggling on what the hell you’re talking about.
I’m talking about government mandates preventing federal contractors from discriminating. Again, what you’re talking about is unclear.