—Vocal opponent of marriage equality. And after the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 in favor of marriage rights for same-sex couples, Collins said he would “strongly support a constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman.”
—Voted against the Equality Act in 2019, which sought to amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He baselessly argued the legislation would undermine women’s sports and promote harmful practices regarding children.
—Co-sponsored the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which aimed to protect individuals who oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds.
—Co-sponsored State Marriage Defense Act which would have defined the terms “spouse” and “marriage” when used in federal laws to always follow the definition used in the particular state where the law is applied.
—Defended military chaplains who faced repercussions for expressing anti-LGBTQ views, indicating his support for so-called religious freedom in the military context.
—Got A+ rating from anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America for his opposition to abortion as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.
—Voted against an amendment to legislation that would disallow discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.