SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is coming out against a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill that faces long odds in Congress.
The faith said in a statement Monday that the Equality Act is "unbalanced" and "fundamentally unfair" because it would strip key religious freedom protections. The Southern Baptist Convention and Catholic Church are among other denominations that oppose the measure.
The legislation would add gender identity and sexual orientation to existing federal nondiscrimination laws covering such realms as employment, housing, education, and public spaces and services.
The Utah-based faith says it favors "reasonable" measures to protect LGBT people's access to housing, employment and public accommodations, but that such efforts shouldn't erode the right for people to live and speak freely about their religious beliefs.