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How the Hobby Lobby decision affects LGBT workplace protections
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Jul 22, 2014
How the Hobby Lobby decision affects LGBT workplace protections
The recent Supreme Court victory for Hobby Lobby may make it easier for employers to say that they morally object to protections of LGBT people because of their faith.
<<enter caption here>> on July 21, 2014 in Washington, DC.
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks before signing an executive order on workplace discrimination July 21, 2014 at the White House in Washington, DC. The executive order bars workplace discrimination in the federal government and its contracting agencies on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
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The recent Supreme Court victory for Hobby Lobby may make it easier for employers to say that they morally object to protections of LGBT people because of their faith.

President Obama signed an executive order, yesterday, which is being hailed as yet another victory for the LGBT community.

"We're going to prohibit all companies that receive a contract from the federal government from discriminating against their LGBT employees," he said at the signing ceremony.

But leading Republicans like Senator Orrin Hatch say the order goes too far.

"In seeking to curtail unjust discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, we must ensure that legal protections do not trample upon basic religious liberties," Hatch said in a statement.

Hatch is a supporter of the Employee Non-Discrimination Act which is similar. However, it includes a religious exemption for those who don't believe in extending those protections, and he says the President's order should do the same.

And the recent Supreme Court victory for Hobby Lobby may also make it easier for employers to say that they morally object to protections of LGBT people because of their faith.

David Cruz, professor of law at USC, joins Take Two to talk about the ramifications that decision has on the fight for LGBT rights