Donald Trump is expected to sign a religious liberty executive order Thu., May 4, during the White House’s National Day of Prayer celebration. The original order got leaked in February, giving “sweeping” exemptions to for-profit companies, social service providers, educators, health care workers, and employers to discriminate based on one’s “sincerely held” religious beliefs. The leak caused a supposed rewrite, but the severity has not been reduced. In a statement, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund Executive Director Rea Carey wrote: “This executive order will be a charter for widespread discrimination, potentially against LGBTQ people, women, Muslim communities, and other marginalized communities. It is designed to destroy lives and roll back fundamental rights.” If signed, the EO will serve as a marked victory for Vice President Mike Pence, who pushed for broad religious refusal laws as governor of Indiana.
This article appears in May 5 • 2017.