Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest voted against H.R. 5, entitled the “Equality Act” by House Democrats.

Guest, who represents Mississippi’s Third Congressional District, cited the complications the bill would create for women, religious institutions and pro-life protections in his opposition.

“This legislation poses a serious and real threat to the rights of women, people of faith and our unborn children, and imposes an unscientific definition of gender across our country. I stood with women, children and our religious institutions by voting against this bill,” Guest said.

H.R. 5 would include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under the Civil Rights Act and would redefine sex to include pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would remove protections for churches and other religious organizations by prohibiting the Religious Freedom Restoration Act from being applied in relevant cases.

H.R. 5 was considered in the 116th Congress, where it passed the House of Representatives but failed to receive Senate consideration. Guest voted in opposition of the legislation in 2019.