A Minnesota school district's plans to shove a crazy “LGBTQIA+” agenda down the throats of students, teachers, and parents was upended at the eleventh hour. You won’t believe the fantasy land world the district was planning to unleash on all the middle and high schools. And, of course, the district tried to keep parents in the dark.

To review the program, parents had to find an obscure link, fill out a form asking for permission to visit the school in person, provide ID, and then only if the school approves would they have brief access to the materials inside the “Educational Service Center.”

After our sister ministry sent a demand letter, nearly 2,000 students opted out, filling a large auditorium and cafeteria.

However, if Congress were to pass the misnamed “Equality Act,” the language in this bill will spread this harmful agenda into every school. And there will be no opting out ...

HR 15 will turn students into radicalized robots. And with the current situation in the U.S. House in which Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) wants to oust Speaker Johnson, this terrible bill could pass. Democrats only need one more vote.

WE MUST STOP THIS BILL! Send your faxes to Congress to stop the "Equality Act" from endangering people in our communities. — Your Faith & Liberty team

Students were told they must use male pronouns for female students and female pronouns for male students, as well as refer to individuals with improper plurals like “they them theirs,” “tha them therz,” and use various other nonsensical permutations: “ze hir hirs,” “zhee here heres,” “ze zir zirs,” “zhee zhere zheres,” “xe xem xyrs,” and “zhee zhem zheres.”

The script that teachers were directed to read verbatim states: “Correctly using someone’s pronouns shows respect to everyone. Using the pronouns that people ask us to use is important to their well-being. The more times and places that people use the correct pronouns others tell us to use, the happier and healthier that person can be.”

Among other things, the district’s instructional document included:

• Greater “student choice” in which restrooms and locker rooms they use.

• Support for “gender-affirming curriculum and pedagogical practices.”

• Establishment of “advisory” and “affinity” groups addressing “structural barriers, inequities, and the lived experience of LGBTQIA+ scholars and their families.”

• Tracking “district performance” and “progress” on these matters and reporting on them before the school board every June.

• Flying the “LGBTQIA+ Progress Pride flag” in June “at all district buildings and in the school board room as a symbol of support to our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and their families.”

While we were able to derail this radical school district, if the Equality Act passes, this harmful nonsense would be in every school.

But it gets worse. This nightmare legislation applies to any slight against someone who is even “perceived” that they might be LGBTQ.

Shockingly, this bill allows lawsuits even if the person is not actually practicing LGBTQ behaviors. They can file a discrimination charge against your “belief” or “perceptions.” Even if they are not LGBTQ, anyone can allege they were discriminated against because you thought they associated in the past with someone who is LGBTQ. Section 2(12) says people can sue based on “perceptions or beliefs.” It applies to “actual or perceived” — in other words, it can apply to real and imaginary situations. And it is not limited to a “physical facility or place.”

People who do not “identify” as LGBTQ can still use this bill to drag churches, organizations, kids, or you through endless litigation. The process itself is the punishment.

HR 15 will even punish people for their “beliefs.”

“Individuals who are LGBTQ, or are perceived to be LGBTQ ... [e]ven if these perceptions are incorrect, the identity imputed by others forms the basis of discrimination.” HR 15 states that “[d]iscrimination based on sexual orientation includes discrimination based on an individual’s actual or perceived” orientation.

This bill explicitly states the Religious Freedom Restoration Act shall not provide a claim or a defense. No religious freedom here!

This opens the door to injustice! The Catholic League said the “Equality Act” is the “most comprehensive assault on Christianity ever written into law.”

The “Equality Act” must be stopped! With the turmoil on Capitol Hill, HR 15 could easily pass if we remain silent. It is only one vote away from passing the U.S. House, which is our best chance to stop it.

One important way you can stand for religious freedom, faith, and the family is to set up a recurring monthly donation to Faith & Liberty. Take advantage of our Challenge Grant to DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT TODAY.

Peggy Nienaber, Senior Vice President
Mat Staver, Chairman
Rev. Gregory Cox, Senior Pastor

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Sources:

“FL Fitness Center Endangers Women.” Liberty Counsel, July 13, 2018. Lc.org/newsroom/details/071318-fl-fitness-center-endangers-women.

H.R. 15. Equality Act. (2023, June). 118th Congress (2023-2024 Session). Congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/15.‌

O’Connell, Jennifer Oliver. “Planet Fitness’ Loose Policy on Men in Women’s Bathroom Adds to Their Mounting Troubles.” RedState, March 25, 2024. Redstate.com/jenniferoo/2024/03/25/planet-fitness-loose-policy-on-men-in-womens-bathroom-adds-to-their-mounting-troubles-n2171903.