No Heart Or Soul

The Republicans have introduced a bill that can cause havoc not only to LGBT but to every citizen; they want to give special rights to people who will be able to legally disobey laws just by saying some magic words.

'Enough is Enough': House GOP Leaders Set to Piss on Graves of Orlando Victims
Hearing on Anti-Gay Bill Set for 1-Month Anniversary of Pulse Nightclub Attack
The New Civil Rights
by JOHN WRIGHT
July 9, 2016

House GOP leaders are set to debate a horrific anti-gay bill on the one-month anniversary of the Orlando terror attack, despite a plea from more than 70 groups to cancel the hearing.

Last month, we told you how Utah Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, had scheduled a hearing on the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) for July 12.

As of Saturday afternoon, the hearing remained on the committee's schedule for 10 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday, and Chaffetz had not responded to the letter from the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign and dozens of otters local, state and national groups.

“It’s outrageous that Congress would hold a hearing on legislation that would make it legal to discriminate against LGBT people with taxpayer dollars one month after the mass shooting that killed 49 people and injured 53 others at a gay club in Orlando,” said James Esseks, director of the ACLU’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project. “Congress should instead focus its efforts on protecting people against violence or discrimination, regardless of who they are or whom they love.”
[…]
"The misleadingly named First Amendment Defense Act has nothing to do with the First Amendment and everything to do with sanctioning taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBTQ people," said David Stacy, HRC's government affairs director. "Enough is enough. It’s far past time to stop the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people and their families.”

The Republican bill will…

First Amendment Defense Act

Prohibits the federal government from taking discriminatory action against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.

Defines "discriminatory action" as any federal government action to discriminate against a person with such beliefs or convictions, including a federal government action to:

• alter the federal tax treatment of, cause any tax, penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or deny, delay, or revoke certain tax exemptions of any such person;

• disallow a deduction of any charitable contribution made to or by such person;

• withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any federal grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, loan, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or similar position or status from or to such person; or

• withhold, reduce, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any benefit under a federal benefit program.

Requires the federal government to consider to be accredited, licensed, or certified for purposes of federal law any person who would be accredited, licensed, or certified for such purposes but for a determination that the person believes or acts in accordance with such a religious belief or moral conviction.

Permits a person to assert an actual or threatened violation of this Act as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding and to obtain compensatory damages or other appropriate relief against the federal government.

Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action to enforce this Act against the Government Accountability Office or an establishment in the executive branch, other than the U.S. Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission, that is not an executive department, military department, or government corporation.

Defines "person" as any person regardless of religious affiliation, including corporations and other entities regardless of for-profit or nonprofit status.

This bill is not a “defense of the First Amendment” but in reality an attack on the First Amendment, it will give special rights to not even all religions but to only a few religious sects to be  able to discriminate against a select group of people which in its self is against the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. To discriminate against someone all they would have to say is "It is against my religion." and they can discriminate anyone who they "think" if LGBT, but on the flip side we could discriminate against any straight person just by saying those words (I bet they didn't think of that, it is a two way street.).

The Republicans say they want government out of everyone lives but this bill does the exact opposite, it sanctions discrimination.