Over 50 Black Christian leaders across the country signed an open letter by the AND Campaign to condemn the Biden Equality Act.
A group of 52 pastors of color, including megachurch pastor A.R. Bernard and former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson, have signed an open letter issued on behalf of the AND Campaign and sent to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to express concerns over the Biden Equality Act.
The AND Campaign is a Christian coalition that aims "to educate and organize Christians for civic and cultural engagement that results in better representation, more just and compassionate policies and a healthier political culture." The group opposed the legislation, claiming that it was a reflection of America's "broken system."
According to Christian Headlines, the letter expressed the coalition and the Christian leaders' "support and appreciation" for the steps legislators are taking to ensure that civil and human rights protections are provided to the LGBT community, which for so long had "endured mistreatment in American society, including within parts of the church."
However, the group of Christian leaders pointed out their selective support for the Biden Equality Act. The letter showed how they backed the federal protections for members of the LGBT community when it comes to employment, housing, and the like, but they expressed their opposition to parts of the legislation.
Christian leaders argued that the Biden Equality Act, which they believe is "a reflection" of the country's "broken system," has failed to achieve "the standard necessary to cultivate a healthy pluralistic society" and will "remove many of the basic rights that allow religious organizations to operate according to the tenets of their faith," The Christian Post reported.
The pastors believe that under the new law, members of the LGBT community will be able to use their rights "a sword against faith institutions rather than a shield to protect the vulnerable."
The open letter, which was also backed by former WNBA player Chantelle Anderson, also expressed the Christian leaders' concerns about how the Biden Equality Act will rescind federal security, disaster relief, and funding from religious schools and cut federal ties from faith-based programs that serve the most vulnerable in the community.
They are also worried that the new legislation would revoke the Pell Grant and federal loan eligibility for students at religious colleges and radically transform houses of worship into public accommodations.
Instead of the Biden Equality Act that apears to be "a reflection of our broken system," the Christian leaders are instead pusing for the Fairness for All Act, which goal is to "prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and to protect the free exercise of religion."
Unlike the Biden Equality Act that offers no religious protections whatsoever, the Fairness for All Act is supported by the National Association of Evangelicals and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. It was first introduced in the 116th Congress by Republican Representative Chris Stewart of Utah and co-sponsored by eight more Republican representatives. It was reintroduced to the House two days after it passed the Biden Equality Act.
