Last week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, known as the Equality Act, which would strengthen bans on discrimination against LGBTQ persons by adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the definition of “sex” in federal civil rights laws. The measure got the support of NETWORK, a social justice lobby led by Catholic nuns, but was opposed by the U.S. Catholic bishops.
If it feels as if you’ve seen this movie, you have. In 2010, the same two groups took opposing positions on the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, with the sisters supporting the ACA, while the bishops opposed it.
Back then, the bishops feared that Obamacare would make abortions easier. The nuns argued that there were adequate protections in the bill. The nuns proved to be right. When Republicans later attempted to repeal the ACA, the bishops switched sides and opposed repeal.
So far, the debate within the church over the Equality Act appears to be a sequel to the ACA fight.
