A Houston-based religious nonprofit behind the so-called bathroom bill is suing the City of Austin over its anti-discrimination hiring ordinance. The U.S. Pastor Council filed suit in a federal district court late last week, alleging the city rule's lack of exemptions for churches or other religiously affiliated groups violates state and federal law.
The suit asks the court to block the enforcement of the ordinance on behalf of its 25 member churches in the Austin area "because these member churches rely on the Bible rather than modern-day cultural fads for religious and moral guidance, they will not hire practicing homosexuals or transgendered people as clergy."
In a June letter to the Austin City Council, Executive Director David Welch reasoned that the ordinance didn't provide wide enough berth for religious exemption – and that Catholic churches refusing to hire women as priests or "homosexuals as clergy" would be violating the city law.
"These are the stingiest religious exemptions we have ever seen in an anti-discrimination law," Welch wrote. "It is inexcusable that you would purport to subject a church's hiring decisions to your city's antidiscrimination ordinance."
In a written statement today, the city defended its anti-discrimination ordinance.
"The ordinance reflects our values and culture respecting the dignity and rights of every individual," said city spokesperson David Green. "We are prepared to vigorously defend the City against this challenge to the City’s civil rights protections."
First founded in 2003, the U.S. Pastor Council was the driving force behind a bill that aimed to require transgender Texans to use restrooms that correspond to their gender at birth – not their gender identity. That bill failed to pass the Texas House in 2017, though Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other lawmakers may revisit the issue in the next legislative session.
Read the full filing below.
This story has been updated.
