March 16, 2021

The Honorable Richard Durbin Chairman Committee on Judiciary United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Chuck Grassley Ranking Member Committee on Judiciary United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 cc: Members of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley & Judiciary Members:

We are writing to express our support and appreciation for the efforts to more fully provide the LGBT community with civil and human rights protections. For far too long, this community has endured mistreatment in American society, including within parts of the church. We regret and lament our collective misdeeds and omissions in that regard. While we maintain the historic Christian sexual ethic, we want to clearly state our support for federal protections for LGBT persons in emploment, housing and the like. Were committed to embracing and advocating for those safeguards.

Unfortunately, the collaborative process and substance of the Equality Act fall well beneath the standard necessary to cultivate a healthy pluralistic society. While we support certain provisions, the legislation, on the whole, is not the product of a thoughtful and healthy civic dialogue or a transparent policy-making process. It was not discussed in detail with a diverse set of faith leaders holl bear the brunt of its ecesses and ho orked hard to elect ou and President Joe Biden. Its a danger not just to Christian institutions, but those belonging to our

Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist, and Muslim neighbors as well. We can defend the rights of the LGBT community without threatening religious communities.

The Equality Act is a reflection of our broken system, not an example of the civic spirit and good faith measures necessary to heal it. It would remove many of the basic rights that allow religious organizations to operate according to the tenets of their faith. It would allow LGBT rights to be used as a sword against faith institutions rather than a shield to protect the vulnerable. In addition to failing to offer religious protections to religious institutions, the Equality Act would likely: Revoke federal security, disaster relief, and school lunch money from thousands of religious schools. End federal partnerships with thousands of faith-based programs that serve the most vulnerable. Revoke the Pell Grant and federal loan eligibility for tens of thousands of students that attend hundreds of religious colleges. Convert houses of worship and other religious properties into public accommodations, enmeshing them in constant litigation.

The Fairness for All Act is a much more thoughtful and just way to protect our LGBT neighbors. Its a product of the faith communit and the LGBT communit coming together and challenging themselves to find ways to co-eist and to promote tolerance. Its proof that religious liberty and LGBT rights are not mutually exclusive. We should, and can, have both. Black and Brown Christians worked too hard for the Civil Rights Act to have it revised in ways that would take away basic rights and funding from our communities. The Equality Act needlessly pits the concerns of diverse communities against each other.

We, therefore, call upon you to support the Fairness for All Act and allow for a full debate and vote on the legislation.

Sincerely,

Bishop Claude Alexander Dr. Marcus D. Cosby Pastor Marlin Harris The Park Church Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church New Life Church Charlotte, NC Houston, TX Decatur, GA

Chantelle Anderson Dr. William Curtis Bishop Walter F. Harvey Former WNBA Player Mt. Ararat Baptist Church President, National Black San Diego, CA Pittsburgh, PA Fellowship of The Assemblies of , Milwaukee, WI Pastor Cornelius Atkinson Dr. Charlie Dates Wilson Heights First Church of God Progressive Baptist Church Dr. Michael L. Henderson Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL New Beginnings Church Matthews, NC Pastor A.R. Bernard Pastor Robert A. Davis Christian Cultural Center Celebration Church Dr. John Jenkins Brooklyn, NY Columbia, MD First Baptist Church of Glenarden Upper Marlboro, MD Dr. Steve Bland, Jr. Bishop Dwayne Debnam Liberty Hill Baptist Church Morning Star Baptist Church Pastor Jeffrey Johnson Detroit, Michigan Gwynn Oak, MD Eastern Star Church Indianapolis, IN Bishop Dr. Elaine Flake African Methodist Episcopal Church Co-Pastor, The Greater Allen Ambassador Suzan Johnson-Cook, , MD Cathedral AME Church Former U.S. Ambassador for City, NY International Religious Freedom Pastor Christopher Butler New York City, NY Chicago Embassy Church Network Lisa Fields Chicago, IL CEO, The Jude 3 Project Nona Jones Jacksonville, FL Founder, Faith and Prejudice Pastor Bryan Carter Gainesville, FL Concord Church Justin E. Giboney, Esq. Dallas, TX President, AND Campaign Pastor Watson Jones , GA Compassion Baptist Church Bishop Timothy J. Clarke Chicago, IL First Church of God Dr. Cynthia Hale Columbus, OH Ray of Hope Christian Church Dr. Sarita Lyons Decatur, GA Epiphany Fellowship Rev. Elaine McCollins Flake Philadelphia, PA Greater Allen AME Cathedral Dr. Charley Hames, Jr. Queens, NY Beebe Memorial CME Church Rev. Dr. Nicole Martin Oakland, CA Assistant Professor, Gordon Dr. Joseph A. Conner, Sr, Conwell Theological Seminary Pastor of New Beginnings Sanctuary Bishop Tejado Hanchell Baltimore, MD of Praise Mount Calvary Holy Church of Philadelphia, PA America Rev. James T. Meek Winston-Salem, NC Salem Baptist Church Dr. K. Edward Copeland Chicago, IL New Zion Baptist Church Pastor Oshebar Hardman Rockford, IL 2nd Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Dr. Esau McCaulley Atlanta, GA AND Campaign Wheaton, IL

Dr. Ralph McCormick Dr. Jacqueline Rivers Bishop Joseph W. Walker III Second Calvary Baptist Church Seymour Institute Mt. Zion Baptist Church Charlotte, NC Boston, MA Nashville, TN

Pastor James Meeks Dr. J. Elvin Sadler Dr. Dwayne A. Walker Salem Baptist Church General Secretary-Auditor Little Rock AME Zion Church Chicago, IL AME Zion Church Charlotte, NC

Bishop Brian D. Moore Bishop Thomas Scott Dr. Alyn Waller Pastor of Life Center Fellowship Florida State Association of Church Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Charleston, SC of God, Tampa, FL Philadelphia, PA

Bishop Edward Peecher Dr. Robert Charles Scott Dr. Howard Timothy Washington Chicago Embassy Church Network St. Paul Baptist Church Baptist Pastor Conference Chicago, IL Charlotte, NC Columbus, OH

Kori Porter Bishop Horace Smith Benjamin Watson CSW USA Pastor of Former NFL Player Princeton, NJ Chicago, IL Atlanta, GA

Bishop Franklin M. Reid Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. Dr. Maurice Watson Director of Ecumenical & Urban First Baptist Church of Lincoln Metropolitan Baptist Church Affairs, African Methodist Gardens, Somerset, NJ Largo, MD Episcopal Church, Baltimore, MD Dr. Warren H. Stewart Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner Dr. C.J. Rhodes First Institutional Baptist Church President, Skinner Leadership Mt. Helm Baptist Church Phoenix, AZ Institute, Washington, D.C. Jackson, MS Rondell Trevino The Immigration Coalition Austin, TX