White House’s ‘Religious Liberty Taskforce’ worries LGBT+ activists in the US

Jeff Sessions has announced the formation of a ‘Religious Liberty Taskforce’ today, in a move that has many LGBT+ activists worried, reports NewNowNext.

The taskforce will ensure guidelines issued last year through executive order are enforced. The taskforce will be co-chaired by Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio and the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, Beth Williams.

Sessions has said it will “ensure all Justice Department components are upholding that guidance in the cases they bring and defend, the arguments they make in court, the policies and regulations they adopt, and how we conduct our operations.”

He brought up the recent case of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who claimed his free speech was infringed upon when he was asked to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

“We’ve seen nuns ordered to buy contraceptives. We’ve seen U.S. senators ask judicial and executive branch nominees about dogma—even though the Constitution explicitly forbids a religious test for public office. We’ve all seen the ordeal faced so bravely by Jack Phillips,” Sessions continued.

HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow expressed her concern over the taskforce: “Over the last 18 months, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions have engaged in a brazen campaign to erode and limit the rights of LGBTQ people in the name of religion. The Attorney General standing shoulder-to-shoulder this morning with anti-LGBTQ extremists tells you everything you need to know about what today’s announcement was really all about.”

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