According to the Los Angeles Times, proposed changes in the Democratic Party’s platform supporting same-sex marriage actually go beyond the marriage debate.
An article published on Monday cites that although the official language remains “under wraps,” the proposed same-sex marriage plank would also call for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
ENDA is an extremely controversial piece of legislation that would affect employment law, placing sexual-orientation on the same level as things like gender, religion, ethnicity, and disability. If passed, it could force employers—possibly including religious employers, like churches and ministries—to set sexual orientation aside when making decisions about new and existing employees.
Needless to say, this law could have a tremendous impact on the freedom of organizations to hire employees and set employee standards that are in keeping with the moral values of the organization. When it was brought up for debate a few years ago, even some who supported same-sex marriage had qualms with the language of the bill; some felt it was too strong while others felt it was not strong enough.
Obviously this is a very serious issue, and we will continue to monitor the situation as the Democratic National Convention continues to approach.
