{"id":506159,"date":"2021-02-09T20:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T20:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.logalt.net\/tap\/james-lankford\/"},"modified":"2023-04-21T22:29:41","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T22:29:41","slug":"james-lankford","status":"publish","type":"gap","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/gap\/james-lankford\/","title":{"rendered":"James Lankford"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014Falsely claimed<\/a> that the Equality Act will force people to hide their faith. The Equality Act expands protections against discrimination based on a person’s religion.<\/p>\n

\u2014In objecting to the Equality Act, claimed<\/a>: \u201cWe don\u2019t oppose equality, but we do oppose legislation when you take the rights of one and dismiss the rights of others.\u201d The Equality Act offers comprehensive protections against discrimination against every LGBTQ American and expands protections on the basis of sex and religion.<\/p>\n

\u2014Signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court<\/a> defending a taxpayer-funded agency’s right to discriminate against same-sex couples looking to foster a child.<\/p>\n

\u2014Cosponsored<\/a> a bill in \u201cprotection of women’s sports\u201d by banning transgender people from participating. Trans people have been participating in sports for years, with no damage to women, girls, or their sports.<\/p>\n

\u2014Quoted<\/a> writer J.K. Rowling, who has opposed transgender people, in blocking the Equality Act in 2020: \u201cTo say in the words of J.K. Rowling this past week where she wrote, \u2018All I\u2019m asking, all I want is for similar empathy, similar understanding to be extended to the many millions of women whose sole crime is wanting their concerns to be heard without receiving threats or abuse. Let\u2019s work together to get equality. This bill does not do it in this form.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014On record as opposing marriage equality<\/a> and believes sexual orientation is a choice.<\/p>\n

\u2014Derided and lied about the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, <\/a>saying: \u201cRight now churches are trying to discern how the new \u2018hate crimes\u2019 legislation affects their teaching of the Bible.\u201d The legislation had nothing to do with religious study. <\/p>\n

\u2014Supported an Oklahoma constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions<\/a>. After a federal judge ruled the law contravenes the U.S. Constitution, Lankford said in response that \u201cmarriage is a state issue and Oklahoma has spoken.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014Supported anti-LGBTQ businesses<\/a>\u2019 freedom of speech when they expressed their views, but not pro-equality businesses when they did the same. He supported anti-LGBTQ fast-food chain Chick-fil-A\u2019s views, but complained when A&E, also a private business, suspended Duck Dynasty<\/em>\u2019s Phil Robertson from its network.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":435,"featured_media":506160,"template":"","categories":[138754],"tags":[],"region":[138565],"hashtag":[138636,138632],"class_list":{"0":"post-506159","1":"gap","2":"type-gap","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"category-gaps","7":"region-national","8":"hashtag-anti-transgender","9":"hashtag-politics"},"aioseo_notices":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t