Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and former Chair and Ranking Member of the Constitution Subcommittee, released the following statement in response to reports that President Trump will sign an executive order designed to provide a "license for discrimination" against the LGBT community and women under the guise of religious liberty. For the past twenty-five years, Representative Nadler has been at the forefront of issues pertaining to protecting religious freedom, the separation of church and state, the protection of LGBT rights, and ensuring women’s reproductive freedom. His statement is below:

“If this possible Executive Order is anything like the draft we saw in February, President Trump is continuing his hateful attacks on wide swaths of our citizenry by providing a license for discrimination against LGBT individuals and women, all under the guise of so-called 'religious freedom.'  Protecting religious freedom does not require the government to condone and encourage discrimination against the LGBT community, or the denial of constitutionally protected reproductive healthcare to women. It has long been established that our constitution protects the free exercise of religion, but those protections do not create the right to cause harm to others. The protections for religious freedom are a shield to defend the practice of religion, not a sword for one person to force his or her religious beliefs on others.”

Video of Congressman Nadler speaking outside the White House at a rally against President Trump's Executive Order can be found here.

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