The House of Representatives passed the Equality Act last Thursday — a bill that would prohibit discimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. A coalition of faith-based groups and Republicans have opposed the bill, promoting instead the Fairness For All Act, which would include religious-liberty protections.
The Rev. Irene Monroe and the Rev. Emmett G. Price III spoke to Boston Public Radio on Monday about the tension between supporters of both acts.
"We’re still debating something that should not be debated, which is that we should not discriminate against human beings," Price said. "The bottom line is we should not discriminate against anyone. And if that’s the basis for how we get this legislation moving forward, then that should be how we do that."
The Equality Act is not likely to pass in the Senate due to the lack of support from Republican senator, Monroe said.
"The GOP will argue for this Fairness For All Act under the guise of religious freedom to discriminate against LGBT people," she said. "When you compromise on all civil rights, then what other rights can we compromise on? It's just a slippery slope that invites us to regress rather than move forward."
Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour’s African American Heritage Trail and a visiting researcher in the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program at Boston University School of Theology. Price is a professor of worship, church and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he directs the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience. Together they host the All Rev’d Up podcast, produced by GBH.
