Date: Thu, 15 Jul 99 15:36:37 -0500 From: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Subject: [NGLTF PRESS] Religious Liberty Protection Act Endangers GLBT Rights ************************************************ NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: David Elliot, Communications Director delliot@ngltf.org TEL 202/332-6483 x3303, PAGER 800/757-6476 1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20009 http://www.ngltf.org ************************************************ RELIGIOUS LIBERTY PROTECTION ACT ENDANGERS GLBT CIVIL RIGHTS, NGLTF WARNS JULY 15, 1999-The Religious Liberty Protection Act approved today by the U.S. House of Representatives would make it easier to discriminate against people on the basis of sexual orientation, marital or family status and disability status, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force warned today. NGLTF Executive Director Kerry Lobel warned that under the legislation passed by the House today, owners of large apartment buildings would be able to cite their religious exercise protections to deny the civil rights of prospective tenants. She called on the Senate to add explicit language to the legislation that makes it clear RLPA does not create a defense to the enforcement of state and local civil rights laws. "Protecting religious liberty is a worthy cause, but not at the expense of any person's other civil rights," Lobel said. "We strongly believe both of these principles are important and neither should be sacrificed for the sake of the other. We don't have to play one critical civil right against another in order for both to prevail." A broad coalition of groups has come together to oppose RLPA because of the lack of exemption for civil rights protections. These groups include AIDS Action, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Rights Task Force, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Human Rights Campaign, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, National Catholic AIDS Network and National Organization for Women. --30-- The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in 1998 published Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Civil Rights Laws In the U.S., a comprehensive report that details the status of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people nationally and state by state. It provides details about what kinds of discrimination civil rights laws ban, what benefits domestic partnership measures provide and what penalties the hate crimes laws enforce, what penalties anti-gay laws require. For this and a complete list of NGLTF publications, please visit www.ngltf.org/pub/html. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has worked to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian and transgendered people at the local, state and national level since its inception in 1973. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and inequality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society. _________________________________________ This message was issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Media Department. If you have a question regarding this post, please direct it to the contact at the top of this message. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, please send an email with "UNSUBSCRIBE PRESSLIST" in the subject and body of your email message to . You may also unsubscribe by visiting http://www.ngltf.org.