British Humanist Association: Faith coalition being formed to fight new equality laws
The British Humanist Association (BHA) warned the Government today of an impending organised lobby by unrepresentative religious groups determined to force through Parliament yet wider exemptions for religion from the laws against discrimination. The aim of the coalition would be to lobby against measures designed to increase equality across the different protected grounds, including sexual orientation and religion or belief, in the context of the Equality Bill, currently before Parliament.
The BHA was sent a copy of correspondence from solicitors instructed by a religious organisation to reunite a group consisting of a number of Christian and other religious groups that had previously worked to fight against the Government’s balanced approach to equality and rights in its 2005 Gender Recognition Act and to ensure wide exemptions from law to allow religious groups to discriminate.
Hanne Stinson, Chief Executive, said:
“We were shocked to discover that some of these groups are not only hoping to retain and expand the exemptions they enjoy from equality law that everybody else is bound by, they are hoping that their lobbying will ensure that the Bill runs out of time before the election, so that no new equality laws are passed in the UK. Many faith groups, not least the main Christian churches and denominations, often claim to be committed to equality and human rights, yet this new coalition that is being formed shows how hypocritical those claims can be.
“In reality, as recent evidence given by religious groups to the Commons’ Equality Bill Committee shows, some religious organisations and individuals believe they have a right to behave almost in any way they wish, simply on the basis of their religious beliefs, be that from refusing to treat single mothers or gay people equally in the provision of public services, to hiring and firing staff on the basis of whether they pray often enough, or to the ‘right’ god. We now know that some faith groups, whose views are unrepresentative of many religious people let alone the rest of society, are seeking to pressure the Government to permit them to behave in ways that would be – and should be – illegal for anyone else.
“Religious dogma cannot be allowed to distort our equality laws in this way. Religions are the major offenders and yet they are demanding exemptions to allow them to carry on as before!”
For further comment or information, contact Hanne Stinson, Chief Executive, at hanne@humanism.org.uk, 020 7079 3583 or 07764 947 249, or Naomi Phillips, Public Affairs Officer, at naomi@humanism.org.uk, 020 7079 3585 or 07779 703
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