In early December, a group of Republican legislators introduced what they are referring to as the Fairness for All bill, which would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people while also protecting religious freedom. So far, the bill is only supported by Republicans in the House, and would face an uphill battle toward passage. The federal legislation has been in the works since 2015, when the state of Utah passed a law known as the Utah Compromise, which extended protections to the LGBTQ community while also allowing for religious freedom exemptions.
Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson, who served as an adviser to the drafters of the bill, commented specifically on its approach to public accommodations, especially when it comes to fostering and adopting children.
“The basic difficulty is making sure the religious service providers that are doing very good work are able to stay in the market while respecting the dignity of same-sex couples," she said. “I think it respects the dignity of people to allow them to self direct while making sure there are a sufficient number of providers.”
Read more at Religion News Service.