WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the U.S. House will vote today on HR 5, known as the so-called “Equality Act,” which is an assault on women and girls’ safety, privacy, and athletic endeavors. 

This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and many other federal laws by striking the word “sex,” and inserting “sex, sexual orientation, gender identity” as protected classes throughout the federal code. This amendment erases any sex-based protections for women. The Senate version states the “Q” in LGBTQ stands for “Queer,” which includes the entire universe of about 550 paraphilias outside of LGBT – one of which is pedophilia (euphemistically called “minor attracted persons”). 

Immutable biological differences and unique attributes between sexes will become illusory because birth sex is irrelevant under HR 5. Therefore, women and girls face increased risk of harassment and violence by predatory males who will use “gender identity” to enter their private spaces. Biological men who subjectively assert they “identify as a woman” will be able to use women’s restrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, and showers. Men will be legally allowed to bunk with women on overnight stays at church, mission, or school events and at domestic abuse shelters or in prison cells. Men will be able to compete in women’s sports. 

HR 5 will preempt every state law. In addition to the incredible expansion of vague applications of LGBTQ, it will federalize abortion and also preempt every state. 

For example, in a Palm Springs, California swim center, three teenage female water polo players were traumatized by encountering a naked man showering in the women’s locker room. They reported this to the police, who did nothing, because the man “identifies as a woman.” According to the report, coaches confronted the person, who told them he was in the locker room because he identified as female.

One of the girl’s mother said, “They were mortified, scared, and traumatized quite honestly. I think this individual is a predator and found a loophole in the law with transgender issues.” 

Liberty Counsel has an extensive collection of articles and resources illustrating the danger of dual-sex restrooms, fitting rooms and shower facilities here. 

Women’s rights and historic gains made by women in athletic competition will also be negatively affected because men will be able to be legally recognized and treated as “women.” 

Title IX was created in order to ensure that women had access to equal opportunities as men, including in sports. Now that is threatened as HR 5 ignores the biological differences between male and female and erases the unique talents and achievements of girls and women. Allowing biological males who self-identify as “women” to compete against biological females, puts women at a disadvantage and can cost female athletes the titles, records, and scholarships that are rightfully theirs and can even lead to serious sports-related injuries. Some examples are: 

• Mack Beggs, 17, was born a girl and reportedly began identifying as a boy at the age of three. Though Beggs underwent testosterone treatments for more than a year and had the muscle mass of a teenage boy, Beggs competed and took first place in the University Interscholastic League state girls’ championship on Feb. 25, 2016. 

• MMA fighter Fallon Fox, a biological man, gave his female opponent a concussion and broke her eye socket in 2015. The woman, Tamikka Brents, suffered a damaged orbital bone and needed seven staples after she fought Fox. 

• Gabrielle Ludwig, 50, who was born Robert, joined the women’s basketball team at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, in 2012. Ludwig is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. 

• Cyclist Jillian Bearden, a 36-year-old biological male and Colorado Springs native, won the women’s division of the El Tour de Tucson in four hours and 26 minutes in November 2016. 

• Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a biological man, won the Australian international women’s competition on March 19, 2017. Hubbard, 39, lifted 591 pounds, nearly 20 pounds more than the woman who won the silver medal by lifting 572 pounds. 

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The so-called ‘Equality Act’ will be harmful to girls and women. It will undo all the gains made by women, and it will devastate women’s sports. It is a slap in the face to young girls and women who are entitled to safety, privacy, and fairness in athletic competition. This bill will increase sexual assaults because it gives males ‘identifying as females’ legal access to use female bathrooms, locker rooms, and all private facilities for women. It will also erase all that women have worked so hard for in all levels of athletic competition.” 

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