Federal court allows church’s challenge to state law barring discrimination for gender identity

October 18, 2016

A federal court in Iowa has rejected the state government’s request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a Protestant church to challenge the state’s new anti-discrimination policy.

The Fort Des Moins Church of Christ had challenged the state policy, which bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The suit said that the policy infringed on the freedom of a religious body to preach its own doctrines. The judge said that the state policy is “plainly drafted to serve a religious purpose.”

Judge Stephanie Rose said that the suit raised an “objectively reasonable” claim that religious freedom would suffer, and allowed the proceedings to continue. However she denied a request for an injunction that would have stopped enforcement of the law until the suit had been settled.

 

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Further information:

• Church's fear of 'civil rights' prosecution justified, Iowa court says (CNA)