USCCB president 'deeply concerned' about court's LGBT ruling

Friday, Jun. 19, 2020

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he is “deeply concerned” that by ruling federal law protects LGBT workers from discrimination, the U.S. Supreme Court “has effectively redefined the legal meaning of ‘sex’ in our nation’s civil rights law.”

“This is an injustice that will have implications in many areas of life,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez said in a statement issued late June 15.

Earlier in the day the high court in a 6-3 vote said LGBT people are protected from job discrimination by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion in the case argued at the start of the court’s term last October. Dissenting votes were from Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh.

Archbishop Gomez said that “by erasing the beautiful differences and complementary relationship between man and woman, we ignore the glory of God’s creation and harm the human family, the first building block of society.”

“Our sex, whether we are male or female, is part of God’s plan for creation and for our lives,” he continued. “As Pope Francis has taught with such sensitivity, to live in the truth with God’s intended gifts in our lives requires that we receive our bodily and sexual identity with gratitude from our Creator. No one can find true happiness by pursuing a path that is contrary to God’s plan.”

In his statement, Archbishop Gomez said that “protecting our neighbors from unjust discrimination does not require redefining human nature.” Every human person “is made in the image and likeness of God and, without exception, must be treated with dignity, compassion and respect,” he said.