The American Bible Society, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Center City, will implement a new policy next year that’s expected to disqualify sexually active LGBT individuals from employment.
Non-LGBT employees who choose to have sex with someone other than their spouse would also be subject to dismissal under the new policy, which goes into effect in January 2019.
The “Affirmation of Biblical Community” policy requires employees to “refrain from sexual contact outside the marriage covenant.” While the policy doesn’t specifically mention LGBT individuals, the ABS position that marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman would disproportionately affect LGBT employees by its implementation.
The policy, which has attracted national attention, states in part: “I will seek to refrain from sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant prescribed and exemplified in the Bible: ‘A man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one,’ symbolizing the relationship between Christ and His Church (Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5:31).”
Founded 202 years ago, ABS prints and translates Bibles and distributes them throughout the world. With an annual budget of $83 million, ABS employs around 200 people, nine of whom have resigned in protest of the upcoming policy, according to published reports.
We “realize everyone must live by his or her own conscience and understanding of what God calls his people to do,” Roy L. Peterson, president and CEO of ABS, said in a statement. “If staff members disagree with the Affirmation of Biblical Community, thus choosing to seek employment elsewhere, we will support their decision and continue to treat them with respect and care in their transition.”
ABS created the policy “because we believe a staff made up of people with a deep and personal connection to the Bible will bring unity and clarity as we continue our third century of ministry,” Peterson said.
Philadelphia has an LGBT-inclusive antibias law covering housing, employment, public accommodations and provision of city services. However, the law contains an exemption for religious institutions that hire people to perform work connected with religious activities.
Rachel Hooper, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, told PGN that “no complaint has been filed with the PCHR against the American Bible Society.”
“Generally speaking, civil-rights laws do not apply to ministers under the U.S. Constitution,” said Justin F. Robinette, a local civil-rights attorney. “A strong argument could be made by ABS that all of its employees are ‘ministers’ who aren’t protected by city, state or federal antibias laws. Unfortunately, ABS can do pretty much whatever it wants when it comes to employment decisions — under the guise of religious freedom.”