Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke says churches must lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose gay marriage.
In a video clip of CNN’s Equality Town Hall with Democratic presidential candidates, former U.S. Rep. O’Rourke argued that “there can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us.”
O’Rourke continued: “So as president, we’re going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans.”
During Tuesday night’s LGBT town hall with CNN, nine Democratic candidates discussed how America can better prevent discrimination against LGBT people.
O’Rourke also said conversion therapy must be outlawed as it was “tantamount to torture,” according to CNN.
Pete Buttigieg promised a ban on conversion therapy and passage for the Equality Act, which would put LGBT on the same level as race in regard to civil rights, and which federalizes abortion and abortion funding.
“The right to religious freedom ends where religion is being used as an excuse to harm other people,” he said, according to Vox.
Watch the video clip of O’Rourke denouncing churches that oppose gay marriage here.
