AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOCIATION OF
ACTION ALERT
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AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
Vote on New ENDA Expected in House Committee on Thursday
In recent weeks there has been an ongoing debate among homosexual/transgender groups about whether to include ‘gender identity’ in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. At the present time Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a new version of ENDA that does not include that language – H.R. 3685. Remember this is the federal bill that will require all employers with fifteen or more employees to hire homosexuals and bisexuals.
Homosexual and transgender groups are in an uproar and are putting extreme pressure on Congressmen to support the old version of ENDA – H.R. 2015. But Congressman Frank is moving forward and has introduced H.R. 3685 with the ‘sexual orientation’ language and H.R. 3686 with ‘gender identity’ language. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has promised homosexual activists that as soon as they have the votes, she will fast track the bill with the ‘gender identity’ language.
Supposedly religious organizations are exempt in this new version, but here’s the definition in the bill: “RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION- The term `religious organization' means--
(A) a religious corporation, association, or society; or
(B) a school, college, university, or other educational institution or institution of learning, if--
(i) the institution is in whole or substantial part controlled, managed, owned, or supported by a particular religion, religious corporation, association, or society; or
(ii) the curriculum of the institution is directed toward the propagation of a particular religion.”
This definition may exempt churches, but it places parachurch ministries at grave risk. Recently one court found that a United Methodist children’s home was not a ‘religious’ organization under a very similar definition in the 1964 Civil Rights Law. Another court recently devised a nine-part, subjective ‘balancing’ test to decide whether a Jewish community center was ‘religious’ under the very same federal law. Two of these ‘secularizing’ factors included ‘under direct control of a church’ and provide ‘secular products’ such as food shelter, and counseling. This would describe many parachurch organizations, thus they would not be exempt from the provisions of H.R. 3685 and would be required to hire homosexuals and bisexuals.
Neither H.R. 3685 nor H.R. 3686 allow an employer to provide separate bathroom facilities for ‘sexually confused individuals.’
That’s just a quick update of what has been going on in Washington over the past couple weeks . . . the effort is still very much alive to force all employers with 15 or more employees to hire homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals.
H.R. 3685 is currently in the House Committee on Education and Labor and a vote is anticipated on Thursday, October 18th. Three PA Congressmen are on that Committee.
ACTION NEEDED:
1.) If Congressman Joe Sestek (D-7th), Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4th), or Congressman Todd Russell Platts (R-19th) represent you in Washington, please call them and ask them to vote “No” on H.R. 3685 when it comes up for a vote on Thursday, October 18th.
2.) If your Congressman is not listed above, please call him or her and ask for a “No” vote on H.R. 3685, when it comes to the floor of the House for a vote. Click here to find your Congressman. Key in your nine-digit zip code in the upper left hand corner.
Talking Points:
1.) H.R. 3685 will be a direct assault on religious liberties
2.) H.R. 3685 takes away freedom from an employer to do what is best for his company.
3.) H.R. 3685 will most negatively impact the majority of businesses in
3.) Don’t forget you can now listen to Diane Gramley’s weekly radio program ‘American Family Focus on PA Issues’ on our website. Click here. This week’s guest is Michael Marcavage of Repent America telling of his recent arrest at the Liberty Bell for preaching on a public sidewalk. This program will be posted on our website Wednesday evening.
4.) Feel free to forward this alert to other concerned Pennsylvanians. If this alert is being forwarded to you by a friend, please feel free to sign up by clicking here. Please indicate in which county you live.
5.) Please consider supporting the ongoing work of the
In His service,
Diane Gramley
President
American Family Association of PA
AFA of PA encourages Christians, through education, to become involved in pro-family issues in their community, state and the nation.
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