In the continuing debate of who should be able to pee where, another church group has declared its opposition to allowing transgender students the use of appropriate bathrooms.
SALT LAKE CITY — The LDS Church is one of six faith groups that have filed a joint "friend of the court" brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing a federal ruling that allows transgender students to use bathrooms matching their stated gender identity.
The brief's purpose "is to inform the court about the sharp clashes with religious belief and practice that will arise if the court interprets the term 'sex' in Title IX to include gender identity," according to a copy of the brief posted by scotusblog.com.
The friends listed in the brief are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Christian Legal Society.
LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said the faith's participation in the brief does not signal a change in its position on transgender issues, but is instead "a restatement of our belief — with many other faith traditions — that gender is an eternal characteristic."
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The religious groups stated in the brief that, "Despite disagreements on many points of faith, we are united in supporting the vigorous free exercise of religion under the First Amendment. The religious liberty we cherish is threatened by the Fourth Circuit’s decision adopting the Department of Education’s expansion of Title IX beyond any plausible interpretation. We submit this brief to inform the court about the sharp clashes with religious belief and practice that will arise if the court interprets the term 'sex' in Title IX to include gender identity."
The state of Utah joined a separate amicus, or friend of the court, brief, also in opposition to the Department of Education. In it, the attorneys general of 21 states, including Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, made an argument over federal funds.
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The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month. – desertnews.com
For more on what Utah and the LDS Church has to say about urination in public schools, head over to desertnews.com.
Does this bring the argument that churches should not get involved in politics?
Does a church have the right to make a statement about political issues?
We allow LGBT accepting churches to make statements of who they support. It may be only fair to allow churches to proclaim whom they shun.
If we allow the strength of church groups to reach into the bathrooms of our public schools, won't the classrooms be next? Even more than they already do?
h/t: desertnews.com