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The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would allow federal contractors to factor in religion in hiring a person, a move advocates say would enable employers to apply a religious litmus test and condone discrimination against the LGBTQ community and other groups.
The Trump administration has proposed a rule that would allow federal contractors to factor in religion in hiring a person, a move advocates say would enable employers to apply a religious litmus test and condone discrimination against the LGBTQ community and other groups.
The rule is the latest nod to the religious right and evangelical Christian leaders who say the U.S. workplace in recent decades has become too focused on protecting the rights of the LGBTQ community.
The Labor Department said that federal contractors would not be able to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, or other protected groups in accordance with the law. But under the rule, companies and groups that identify as religious "may make employment decisions consistent with their sincerely held religious tenets and beliefs without fear of sanction by the federal government," according to a statement.
Advocacy groups argue the rule authorizes discrimination and allows religious employers to make adherence to religious tenants a condition of employment.
"The rule reflects part of a very dangerous tide if you care about equality and if you care about separation of church and state," Louise Melling, deputy legal director with the ACLU, said on a call with reporters Wednesday.