LGBT Breaking News: Barack Obama Uses Executive Power To Sign Non-Discrimination Order Without Religious Exemptions

President Barack Obama has signed into law an amendment to the Employee Non-Discrimination Act that prevents discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. From the White House: "Today President Obama amended Executive Order 11246, which already prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the order."

At the ceremony today, President Obama stated: "our government - government of the people, by the people and for the people - will become just a little bit fairer." According to the Human Rights Campaign, President Obama has "set strong new standards for federal contractors, which employ 20 percent of the American workforce. In so doing, the Obama administration has guaranteed that 14 million more American workers will be protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The amendment had been criticized for fears it would include a religious exemption, as has been the case with the Affordable Healthcare Act in the wake of the Hobby Lobby decision. However, the amendment in this case was airtight and leaves no room for religious freedom as the basis for discrimination. Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President at Union Theological Seminary said "This is a tremendous victory for those of us who believe that as people of faith we should be exemplary, not exempted."