We’ve all heard the rationalization for discrimination against LGBT people with regards to so-called “religious liberties.” We all also know that if you replace “LGBT” with “black” or “Jewish,” the very idea would be unacceptable, so these justifications hold no water. However, this fact has not stopped 12 Republicans in Washington, which has statewide protections against LGBT discrimination, from introducing a bill that would allow businesses and individuals to openly discriminate against LGBT people.
Senate bill 5927 would legalize discrimination against gay and lesbian couples based upon “philosophical principles” or “matters of conscience.” ?The bill says:
The right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, philosophical belief, or matter of conscience may not be burdened unless the government proves that it has a compelling governmental interest in infringing the specific act or refusal to act and has used the least restrictive means to further that interest.
So, in other words, they wish to use the bill to reverse the 2006 Washington state law that refuses to allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT people. The law does state that any federally protected class, such as race or religion, is protected against discrimination. Unfortunately, LGBT people are not protected at the Federal level just yet.
Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington says of that the bill “undermines our entire approach to ensuring the equality of all Washingtonians in commerce.” He goes on to say:
It is discrimination, pure and simple.
He is right. As someone who is a member of multiple minorities, some of them protected classes, and others not, I have to say that Mr. Friedes is correct. It is no more acceptable to discriminate against me for being gay than it is for being black or being a woman. This is a horrendous bill that would turn back the clock of hard-won rights in Washington, and I truly hope that it goes nowhere.
Shannon Barber is a self- described queer feminist and activist for LGBT rights, women’s rights, and secular rights in America. She is a lifelong lover of words, though her educational background is in computer science. She currently writes for 3 liberal websites, and keeps her own humor blog for lesbians. She hopes to change the world, one mind at a time.
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Edited by: CB
