Leader of Missouri Human Rights Commission opposes adding LGBTQ protections to law

The chairman of the Missouri Human Rights Commission, which enforces the state’s non-discrimination law, is opposing adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the law, citing biblical passages about homosexuality and warning of a loss of religious freedom.

Timothy Faber, who was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, on Wednesday urged lawmakers to reject legislation that would expand state law to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, loans, employment and public accommodations.

During a hearing held by the Missouri Senate General Laws Committee, Faber testified as a lobbyist for the Missouri Baptist Convention, a network of about 1,800 Southern Baptist churches. He only identified himself as the commission chairman under questioning, despite saying expanding the non-discrimination law would burden the commission.

“Let me remind you the Bible does indeed speak of homosexuality,” Faber said, referring to proponents of the legislation who spoke about scripture.

Faber said sin has corrupted the image of God in man “in all ways, even heterosexual relationships have been corrupted because of sin.” He said the bill “cannot be separated from religion and, particularly, religious liberty,” and said the legislation would lead to more lawsuits.

In turn, those lawsuits would grow the backlog of cases before the commission, Faber said.

State Sen. Doug Beck, a St. Louis County Democrat, pressed Faber for specific details about the backlog, which he was unable to provide.

Beck chastised Faber for referring to the commission without identifying himself. “In my mind, I’m not trying to be disrespectful, it’s kind of disingenuous to say ‘they’ instead of ‘we,’” Beck said.

Faber’s appearance at the hearing spotlights how the commission is currently a shadow of its full self. The commission has 11 members appointed by the governor to six-year terms and confirmed by the state Senate, but currently only has four members and lacks a quorum.

Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones said two of the four current commission members were appointed by Parson and that the administration would like to make more appointments. She encouraged residents to apply at boards.mo.gov.

The legislation, SB 60, is similar to other non-discrimination measures that have been proposed in the General Assembly annually since the late 90s. Some years, the bills go further than others. Faber was one of only two opponents who showed up to testify at Wednesday’s hearing, which included more than an hour of testimony from supporters.

“It’s disheartening to hear that any Missourian wouldn’t want to support a bill aimed at ending discrimination,” state Sen. Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat, said in a statement. Razer is the bill sponsor and Missouri’s only openly gay state senator.

“When that person is Chairman of the Commission whose sole purpose is to review allegations of discrimination, that’s incredibly concerning.”