Post by pavel on May 1, 2016 1:22:36 GMT -6
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is under attack. That is not an exaggeration. State after state has either passed or attempted to pass legislation that allows for blatant discrimination against members of the LGBT community, and they are making fast progress. The next battleground is Texas, and a program called Texas Competes hopes to help prevent that.
North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Indiana, and Tennessee have all passed uniquely awful anti-LGBT laws. State legislatures often present their discriminatory bills as “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” or RFRAs. RFRA supporters say these laws are designed to protect the individual’s ability to practice their religion without the cruel impact of big government coming in to stop them. But the thing is, we already have a law that does that, and it is called the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment, and subsequent case law interpreting it, allows Americans to practice—or not practice—religion in any way they see fit. There are, of course, reasonable restrictions on this. For instance, human sacrifice—that’s a no-no.
So why the need for another law that allows us to do what the Constitution already says we can do? Well, as with most things, the devil is in the details. RFRAs actually create loopholes that allow business owners to deny goods and services to people who don’t particularly jive with that owner’s specific set of religious beliefs. These laws were created so that the baker who has opened her doors to the public can tell same-sex couples that she will not bake a cake for their wedding because gay sex is an abomination, or something along those lines. That is not religious freedom. That is discrimination. If you are a business that is open to the public, federal law prohibits you from discriminating against members of the public for reasons based on race, gender, age, or religion. However, because federal law does not currently protect sexual orientation and gender expression, we have no legal protections from LGBT discrimination in Houston, Texas.
It has been argued that RFRA laws do allow for discrimination against the other legally protected classes as well. If people are allowed to discriminate against others based on their religious beliefs, then who is to say that this cannot extend itself to discriminate against Muslims? (wait, that already happens) or black people? (wait, that still happens, too) or disabled people (crap)? Well, it’s not supposed to happen, but it could.
Read more: www.outsmartmagazine.com/2016/05/texas-competes-sometimes-the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense/
North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Indiana, and Tennessee have all passed uniquely awful anti-LGBT laws. State legislatures often present their discriminatory bills as “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” or RFRAs. RFRA supporters say these laws are designed to protect the individual’s ability to practice their religion without the cruel impact of big government coming in to stop them. But the thing is, we already have a law that does that, and it is called the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment, and subsequent case law interpreting it, allows Americans to practice—or not practice—religion in any way they see fit. There are, of course, reasonable restrictions on this. For instance, human sacrifice—that’s a no-no.
So why the need for another law that allows us to do what the Constitution already says we can do? Well, as with most things, the devil is in the details. RFRAs actually create loopholes that allow business owners to deny goods and services to people who don’t particularly jive with that owner’s specific set of religious beliefs. These laws were created so that the baker who has opened her doors to the public can tell same-sex couples that she will not bake a cake for their wedding because gay sex is an abomination, or something along those lines. That is not religious freedom. That is discrimination. If you are a business that is open to the public, federal law prohibits you from discriminating against members of the public for reasons based on race, gender, age, or religion. However, because federal law does not currently protect sexual orientation and gender expression, we have no legal protections from LGBT discrimination in Houston, Texas.
It has been argued that RFRA laws do allow for discrimination against the other legally protected classes as well. If people are allowed to discriminate against others based on their religious beliefs, then who is to say that this cannot extend itself to discriminate against Muslims? (wait, that already happens) or black people? (wait, that still happens, too) or disabled people (crap)? Well, it’s not supposed to happen, but it could.
Read more: www.outsmartmagazine.com/2016/05/texas-competes-sometimes-the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense/