Trans-Rights v. Religious Freedom

Once again the conservative are claiming their “rights” are being infringed upon. Somehow they have twisted their religious beliefs into allowing them to discriminate against trans-people and the LGBT community. They think that they can use public funding and still believe that they can discriminated against us when the courts have over and over again said that if you take public money or you serve the public that you have to obey all laws, including the non-discrimination laws. You may remember the case in 2007 where a lesbian couple wanted to rent a pavilion on the boardwalk in Ocean Grove NJ that was owned by a Methodist organization for their civil union vows and they were refused by the Methodist organization. The church cited the First Amendment religious freedom for their reason to discriminate but a judge found that “… that the association opened the pavilion up to the public and thus was obligated to follow anti-discrimination laws.” In addition, the church in their application for tax-exempt status said that the “program that requires facilities to be open and nondiscriminatory to all.”

Now out in California the California Baptist University have claim religious freedom in their expulsion of a trans-student.

CAL BAPTIST: Transgender student’s discrimination case advances
The Press-Enterprise
BY David Olson
May 07, 2013

A Riverside County Superior Court judge rejected California Baptist University’s request to dismiss a transgender woman’s civil-rights complaints against the school.

Domaine Javier, 26, of Riverside, was expelled from Riverside’s Cal Baptist in August 2011 after revealing in an episode of MTV’s “True Life” that she is biologically male.

Javier alleges that the expulsion violates a state law that bars discrimination based on gender identity.

Cal Baptist contends the university is not covered by the law because it is a private institution where religious beliefs and values are an integral part of its mission. The university asked Judge Matthew Perantoni to dismiss the civil-rights claims.

California Baptist University is open to all people of any religious faiths including atheists and I also imagine that they take federally back student loans such as Pell Grants; therefore, they are in the same position as the Ocean Grove Methodist organization in that they open to the public and accept public funding. They have their hand out for our money but they don’t want the strings attached when they accept our money.

But they are not alone in their twisted view of religious freedom…

Newt Gingrich Claims LGBT Rights Undermine Catholic Rights, Cites Heterosexual-Only Adoption Services
Huffington Post
By Meredith Bennett-Smith
Posted: 05/06/2013

Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and recent Republican presidential candidate, made the controversial comments during a panel discussion Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press." Host David Gregory asked Gingrich if he thought a Republican nominee for president could support gay marriage. “I doubt it,” Gingrich replied, adding that society is changing, so the issue remains "up in the air."

“But what I’m struck with is the one-sidedness of the desire for rights,” Gingrich said. “There are no rights for Catholics to have adoption services in Massachusetts; they’re outlawed. There are no rights in D.C. for Catholics to have adoption services; they’re outlawed."

"Does [supporting LGBT rights] mean that you actually have to affirmatively eliminate any institution which does not automatically accept [homosexuality]?" Gingrich continued.

Once again it give me your money and I will do want I want not what I said I would do when I took your money.