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The LGBTQ+ Federation of Puerto Rico has expressed its opposition to Senate Bill 1, a proposal introduced by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, which claims to enhance religious freedom but is perceived by the Federation as an endorsement of discrimination.
The Federation maintains that the proposed legislation is redundant, as the island’s Constitution already safeguards religious freedom.
The legislation aimed at establishing the Law on the Fundamental Right to Religious Freedom – which revives previously discarded proposals – would cover regulations regarding mandatory vaccination, financial aid for education, and the extent of penalties for parents opting out of immunizing their children.
Pedro Julio Serrano, the Federation’s president, remarked that “Senate Bill 1 serves no purpose other than to act as a Trojan horse to disguise a potential license for discrimination under the guise of religious freedom.”
Olga Chapman Rivera, the Federation’s communications director, remarked: “We are against this bill that could enable discrimination against individuals by any public official who declines to offer a service based on their religious convictions.”
The Federation has called for public hearings on the proposal, seeking to highlight its potentially hazardous ramifications. Serrano characterized the bill as “unnecessary, perilous, and a blatant effort to cater to a fundamentalist group.”
