You have probably heard much about the so-called “infrastructure bill” over the past few weeks, culminating with its passage in the United States Senate just a couple of days ago. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote. But did you know that the infrastructure bill isn’t just about highways, railroads, and broadband?
That’s right – tucked away in the bill are hidden provisions known as “SOGI language.” SOGI stands for “sexual orientation and gender identity.” The infrastructure bill, which just passed the Senate, proposes to elevate the SOGI groups to federally protected classes, even though those classes are poorly defined.
This hidden provision is a threat to religious freedom in Minnesota and across the United States. In addition to threatening religious freedom, these provisions threaten the safety and privacy of women and girls. Minnesotans and Americans who support things like traditional marriage and the rights of women and girls to have access to safe, single-sex facilities and programs, may be targeted and accused of discrimination for living according to their own beliefs. The Daily Citizen writes,
These types of laws are like a Trojan Horse. Though their purpose is ostensibly to prevent discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, often, their real result is coercion, permitting discrimination against Christians who hold to historic Christian teachings on sexual morality.
These SOGI provisions stand in direct conflict with religious freedom and the safety and privacy of women and girls.
(Image: Flickr, Gordon Werner, CC BY-SA 2.0)
