— Thursday, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) voted no on H.R. 5, the Democrats’ so-called Equality Act. This legislation elevates ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ to the ranks of a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If this legislation is signed into law, businesses, churches, schools, shelters, and other charities will be forced by law to recognize and individual’s chosen gender over their biological sex.

Congressman Pfluger released a statement following his no vote on the bill: “As a Christian, conservative, and father of three fantastic girls, I vehemently oppose this bill. I strongly believe that every person is created equal and deserves dignity and respect, but we can absolutely not allow the federal government to send a down a decree that forces Americans to act in violation of sincerely-held religious beliefs, threatens the safety and rights of women and girls, jeopardizes the rights of parents, and puts the lives of our unborn children at even more risk.”

Congressman Pfluger also shared a video detailing his reasons for opposing the bill. Click here to watch.