A coalition of ‘faith groups’, human rights campaigners, trade unions and other secular organisations, met in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 24 November, to call on Parliament to remove what it calls ‘religious opt-outs’ from the Equality Bill.
The coalition, which called itself the Cutting Edge Consortium (CEC), was chaired by Clare Short MP and included the British Humanist Association, the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, the Muslim Women’s Network, Liberal Judaism, Ekklesia, Unison and the TUC.
The Equality Bill, which places a duty on public bodies, like schools and the police, to promote homosexual and transsexual ‘rights’, is currently awaiting its report stage before its third reading in the House of Commons. Christian groups are concerned that it will reopen many of the discrimination issues which have left Christians discriminated against when it comes to ‘equality and diversity’.
Maria Exall of the TUC, who entered into a lesbian civil partnership with Government minister Angela Eagle in September 2007, said at the meeting:
‘It is vital that progressive faith and secular voices are heard loud and clear supporting the Equality Bill and equal rights for LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] people.’
Under the current law, the opt outs allow churches and other organisations to refuse to employ practising homosexuals in order to avoid conflicting with the strongly held religious convictions of a significant number of the religion's followers. This means that in practice Christian groups can restrict posts to Christians whose private conduct is consistent with the Bible’s teaching on sexual ethics.
However, under the Equality Bill the Government is specifying that this protection can only apply to chief posts that mainly involve leading worship or explaining doctrine.
The meeting was organised at the time when the European Commission has called on the UK to end exemptions to equality laws that allow religious employers to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation.
The Commission sent a ‘reasoned opinion’ to the UK on Friday for ‘incorrectly implementing’ EU rules prohibiting discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in employment or occupation.
The reasoned opinion states that the Government’s ‘exceptions to the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for religious employers are broader than that permitted by the directive’.
Vladimír Špidla, Equal Opportunities EU Commissioner, said:
‘Tackling all forms of discrimination – especially at work – has been a priority for this Commission and for me personally. Our legal action has led to better protection against discrimination in workplaces across the EU.
‘We call on the UK Government to make the necessary changes to its anti-discrimination legislation as soon as possible so as to fully comply with the EU rules. In this context, we welcome the proposed Equality Bill and hope that it will come into force quickly.’
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