Dear Senator [insert name]: 

 

I am a constituent and a [blank] of the Association for Public Justice (APJ). APJ promotes public justice for Americans from all backgrounds and traditions. We celebrate our nation’s rich diversity and work to retain the rights and freedoms of all our citizens and civic associations, regardless of religious belief or sexual identity.  

 

[Or…] I am a constituent and a [board member, donor, beneficiary, alumni] of a faith-based nonprofit that provides [state the service(s) provided, not the name of the nonprofit].

 

I favor federal legislation securing civil rights protections nationwide for LGBTQ+ people.  Unfortunately, the Equality Act (H.R.5) as written fails to achieve this critical goal while unnecessarily undermining the rights and freedoms of many of our citizens. Significantly, the Equality Act diverges sharply from the balances between religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights struck by similar state laws. In fact, no state law protecting LGBTQ+ rights has curtailed religious freedom to the extent outlined in the current bill. 

 

The Senate must amend the Act to ensure that both religious people and organizations and the LGBTQ+ population are protected and treated fairly. Faith-based organizations of all kinds, and the individuals they serve, are all vital parts of our country. Participating in these organizations is a constitutionally protected exercise of religion. And their distinctively religious impulse is essential as they serve their communities and form their members to serve the common good. 

 

Yet, the Equality Act currently reclassifies houses of worship as public accommodations.  This subjects them to requirements that may violate their core religious beliefs. More generally, the Equality Act currently erodes the religious freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. It also removes the protections of the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act and denies the right to present a defense in court of any person or organization charged with illegal discrimination while living out their religious beliefs.

 

[You could add a paragraph about the specific harms the faith-based nonprofit you are affiliated with will be harmed, and the detriment it would be to their ability to serve.]  

 

The Equality Act, in its current form:

• Denies houses of worship access to federal disaster aid from FEMA.

• Denies federal funding to hundreds of synagogues, mosques, and religious schools for enhanced security against terror threats. 

• Terminates the eligibility of students at religious schools to participate in the National School Lunch Program. 

• Excludes faith-based adoption and foster care providers from federal funding.

• Compels many faith-based homeless or domestic violence shelters to close their doors. 

• Prevents religious colleges and universities from hiring staff and faculty consistent with the institution’s beliefs.

• Excludes low-income students at religious colleges and universities from accessing needs-based government aid, including Pell grants.

 

For all these reasons, I ask you to work to amend the Equality Act before Congress sends it to the President. Please consider legislation like the Fairness for All Act, which guards LGBTQ+ rights while protecting religious freedom. The Fairness for All Act was designed to expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ+ persons while guaranteeing religious freedom for faith-based organizations. I strongly encourage you to modify the Equality Act to align with the goals and provisions of the Fairness for All Act. 

 

Thank you for your consideration and your service to our country. 

 

Respectfully,

[Your name]

[Your contact information]