Religious Freedom order prioritizes one expression of faith over another’s

I am deeply concerned about the religious freedom executive order recently signed by President Donald Trump. I am a Christian and an LGBTQ person. This kind of legislation is harmful to my own religious freedom, because it allows people who share my faith to legally discriminate against me. It also allows open discrimination in a variety of other ways.

It will harm all Americans, not just the LGBTQ community. What if two men who are friends go to buy a cake together? Can they be denied because they are perceived as gay? What about a woman who is more tomboyish in expression? Could she be denied a job because she is perceived to be lesbian?

This kind of legislation is limiting and is against the Gospel I believe in. I believe in the Jesus that ate and drank and shared life with all kinds of people, including those who weren’t considered respectable. I believe in a Christ that loves all of me, every part of me.

This order would prioritize other people’s expressions of Christianity, those who believe I need to change, over my own. For me, this is religious restriction. This is prioritizing one expression of faith over my own and making it harder for me to go shopping and find employment. Please stand against this harmful order.

— Zebulun Treloar-Reid
Originally published in the Des Moines Register