Thursday, April 19, 2018

The Times They Are A – Changing

Come senators and congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorways
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
                          BOB DYLAN
Over the last 10 or 15 years we have seen states over and over again try to pass anti-trans legislation only to fail time and time again. The only state to pass a hateful bill was North Carolina, so are we winning?
Bills to Curtail LGBT Rights Are Failing in US Legislatures
New York Times
By The Associated Press
April 17, 2018

NEW YORK — In a striking shift from recent years, major legislation curtailing LGBT rights has been completely stymied in state capitols around the country this year amid anxiety by Republican leaders over igniting economic backlash if they are depicted as discriminatory.

In the thick of this year's legislative sessions, LGBT activists were tracking about 120 proposed bills that they viewed as threats to their civil rights. Not one of them has been enacted as many sessions now wind down; only two remain under serious consideration.

A key factor in the shift: In the Republican-led states where these types of bills surface, moderate GOP lawmakers and business leaders are increasingly wary of losing conventions, sporting events and corporate headquarters.

North Carolina, Indiana and Arizona were among the states that faced similar backlash in recent years over such legislation.

"Being anti-equality is not considered good politics anymore," said legislative specialist Cathryn Oakley of the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT rights organization.
It all boils down to money. Not if it is immoral, or if it demonizes a whole community but rather if it hurts our pocketbooks.

This does not mean the battle is over, it means that they are now trying a different attack strategy; hiding their bigotry behind religion in the so called “religious freedom” laws.
Later this year, perhaps in June, a potentially momentous ruling is expected from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether businesses that serve the public can cite religious objections to refuse service to LGBT people, even in states that protect them in their nondiscrimination laws. The case involves a Colorado baker who did not want to make a cake for a same-sex couple to celebrate their wedding.
If the Supreme Court rules that they can discriminate against by claiming “religious freedom” I think you will see a lot more cases of discrimination not only against us but also against blacks, Latinos, Jews,  Muslims, and other minorities after all you can just about that it is “against your religious beliefs” to associate with any minorities. In the past the Bible has been used to justify all types of discrimination. You are going to see more white supremacist claiming that they can discriminate against non-white and non-Christians.

No comments:

Post a Comment