The recent appointment of Chai Feldblum to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is angering conservatives as they fear that she might strip religious rights from schools and businesses and "revolutionize" social norms in the work place.
Feldblum, a Georgetown University Law Professor, was appointed on Saturday and is under fire for promoting the "gay lifestyle."
Conservatives are concerned that Feldblum will use her power to enforce the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The act clearly states that it would not apply to corporations, associations or educational institutions with religious affiliations. But critics are concerned that other employers could be forced to make decisions that conflict with their moral beliefs.
Andrea Lafferty, Executive Director of the Traditional Values Coalition told Foxnews that "Feldblum wants to change the moral bearing of this country." Lafferty said the hiring of a transgender teacher in a school, for example, would be "traumatizing" for students who are "still growing and learning about sexuality." "We send children to school to learn reading, writing and arithmetic. Having a transgender or 'she-male' teacher in the classroom should not be part of that equation," she said.
The Obama administration is standing by its decision to appoint the Harvard-educated attorney. In a posting on the White House Web site, the administration listed Feldblum's formidable credentials, including her work as legislative counsel to the AIDS Project of the American Civil Liberties Union and her help in drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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