A leaked copy of Donald Trump's 'Religious Freedom' draft executive order could dissolve anti-discrimination protection for the LGBT community, and curtail access to contraception.
The potential policy entitled 'Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom' - which was obtained by The Investigative Fund and The Nation - could allow individuals and organisations to refer to religious objections to same-sex marriage, gender identity, and abortion.
The draft order states that it would protect any privately owned company or religious organisation that "believes, speaks, or acts (or declines to act) in accordance with the belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, sexual relations are properly reserved for such a marriage, male and female and their equivalents refer to an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy, physiology, or genetics at or before birth, and that human life begins at conception and merits protection at all stages of life."
This would restrict a woman's right to an abortion under the Affordable Care Act, and enable employers to deny their employees health treatment for contraception and abortion. It could also authorise family services organisations to openly discriminate against same-sex couples.
The White House has declined to comment on the draft, but White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has since told reporters: "I'm not getting ahead of the executive orders that we may or may not issue.
"There is a lot of executive orders, a lot of things that the president has talked about and will continue to fulfill, but we have nothing on that front now."
ABC News has also reported that the draft order - which would be a huge victory for conservative Christians in the US - may not become policy.
A spokeswoman for the White House Sarah Huckabee told the news agency: "We do not have plans to sign anything at this time but will let you know when we have any updates."
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
