Faith Leaders Push Back on Trump's 'Religious Freedom' (to Discriminate) Executive Order

Washington, D.C. - As a leaked draft of President Donald Trump's executive order permitting tax-payer funded discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people spawns national outrage, more than 400 national faith leaders are warning Trump to not encourage tax-payer funded discrimination in a letter sent to the White House.

The letter comes as thousands of faith leaders and organizations from across the country attend the 65th Annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., and just days after the White House touted Trump's support for LGBT rights - an assertion met with strong skepticism from many Americans who feared Trump would advance anti-LGBT policies through religious exemptions. Those fears have been confirmed in the leaked executive order, which reveals sweeping plans by the Trump administration to legalize discrimination.

"In our democratic nation, public service-particularly when it is directly funded by the federal government-must be aligned with the constitutional principle that all people receive equal treatment under the law," the letter signed by more than 400 faith leaders states. "Requiring those who receive public funding to adhere to non-discriminatory hiring practices not only abides by this principle, but also it is the right thing to do. Beyond that, it protects our laws from confusion and abuse. If contractors and others were allowed to opt out of certain laws, depending on their religious beliefs, we would soon see a morass of legal confusion and dispute."

The letter was signed by more than 400 faith leaders representing a diverse mix of religious beliefs and backgrounds.

"Federal policies that allow for discrimination against LGBT people violate basic human rights and dignity, as well as the belief shared by millions of Americans-that LGBT people should not be treated as second-class citizens," the letter states. "We believe that the path to national unity lies in affirming the full equality and potential of every person. In the spirit of equality, fairness, and justice, we urge you not to add a discriminatory religious exemption to the Executive Order or to other federal policies."