Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act by a vote of 224-206. If enacted, the bill would effectively replace “sex” with “sexual orientation and gender identity” as protected classes in federal civil rights law and eliminate religious liberty protections. Only three Republicans voted for the bill, five fewer than did in the previous Congress.

In response, Terry Schilling, executive director of American Principles Project (APP), released the following statement:

“We join with many Americans in expressing our disappointment with the House’s vote to pass the so-called ‘Equality Act’ today. As has been noted numerous times by now, this legislation would be devastating for women’s rights, forcing female athletes to compete against biological males and opening private women’s spaces to men, including bathrooms, locker rooms, and shelters. It would also deeply imperil every American’s First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of religion.

“However, we are not surprised by its passage, given that Democrats have for many years now been captured by a radical ideology which would sacrifice the rights of women and people of faith in order to advance an extreme sexual agenda. In order to preserve true civil rights for all, we strongly urge the Senate, and particularly Senate Republicans, to stand firm against this ideological extremism and reject this bill.”

To schedule an interview with an APP policy expert, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.