Tony Perkins, president of the
Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC), has praised
Monday's announcement of a federal task force on “religious
freedom.”
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions
said Monday that the task force will implement guidance on “religious
freedom” the Department of Justice issued last year. The Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate,
described the task force as part of a campaign by the Trump-Pence
administration “to license discrimination against LGBTQ people in
the public square.”
(Related: Jeff
Sessions announces “religious freedom” task force.)
Perkins, who has close ties with the
Trump administration and the Republican Party, praised the task force
in a statement, saying that America is “witnessing a revival of
freedom!”
“With initiatives such as this, it’s
clear that the Trump administration understands the dangers of
government actors attempting to quarantine religious beliefs within
the walls of a church instead of embracing their historical
contributions to America’s public good,” Perkins said. “No
American should have to restrict the practice of their faith to
within the confines of their place of worship.”
“I commend President Trump and
Attorney General Sessions for safeguarding the freedom to live out
one’s faith in all areas of society without government punishment
or intimidation. History makes clear, religious freedom is the key to
a strong, stable and successful nation,” he added.
The Family Research Council has been
labeled a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
over its anti-LGBT rhetoric.
(Related: Groups
opposed to LGBT rights take part in State Dept. religious freedom
conference.)