Equality!

It is nothing new. Something like 22 states have non-discrimination laws covering trans, and also gays and lesbian but we do not have federal protections and that is what the Equality Act will change.

So when I see people says it will violate their “religious freedom” but so far the laws haven’t been overturned by the courts. I say so far because there are court cases that are trying to do that… cancel our protections.

Some Faith Leaders Call Equality Act Devastating; For Others, It's God's Will
NPR
By Tom Gjelten
March 10, 2021


A potential revision of federal civil rights law to extend protection to LGBTQ people could soon get a long-delayed vote in the U.S. Senate, but concerns about its implications for religious freedom cloud its prospects for final passage.

The Equality Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, has twice passed the House. Republicans in the Senate have until now blocked its consideration, but Democratic control there should finally ensure at least a hearing.
[…]
Faith groups are deeply split over the proposal. Despite large majorities of the U.S. population favoring expanded LGBTQ rights, many faith groups still hold conservative ideas about marriage and sexuality and fear the Equality Act would punish them for adhering to those beliefs. Mainline Protestant denominations and other progressive faith groups have lined up in support of the legislation.

Back in 2011 when Connecticut passed our non-discrimination law was passed the Catholic church stayed quiet on the bill. They were satisfied with the exemptions in the bill but times have changed the Bishops now are following in their evangelical Christians in opposing protections for us.

Among those in opposition are the National Association of Evangelicals, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Coalition for Jewish Values, representing Orthodox rabbis. Together, the groups represent a broad swath of U.S. religious denominations.

So what changed in ten years?

Ten years ago “Religious Freedom” meant being able to worship without government interference in churches synagogues and mosques and their schools but now they say it means not just in places of worship but also in daily life.

They want the “right” to discriminate against others.

Critics of the Equality Act also fear it could open the door to lawsuits based on perceived employment discrimination based on religious beliefs.

In other words they want the right not to hire a person because their holy book (or they think that it does) says they can. An example is Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court said that the company doesn’t have to cover birth control pills even though state law requires it and doing so it will violate the owners religious beliefs.

That was about birth control pills but stop and think about the whole implications of the ruling.

The bible has been used to justify slavery, but more to the point, it has also been used justify segregation, to block interracial marriage, unwed mothers, and it has been used to justify banning other religions.

The renewed drive to challenge the Equality Act on religion-based grounds has prompted some faith groups to ramp up support for the legislation. Among them are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with nearly 4 million members, the U.S. Episcopal Church, other mainline Protestant denominations and most Jewish congregations. All have moved in recent years toward more tolerant positions in areas related to marriage and sexuality.

So what will happen if a conservative Christian is fired by a progressive Christian because of the conservative Christian beliefs. Say the conservative employee refuses wait on a table of a trans person and the progressive Christian fires the employee.

The conservative Christian sues for religious discrimination and the progressive Christian says that not waiting on the trans person violated their religion beliefs. Now the courts will have to rule on whose religious beliefs override the other person’s religious beliefs.

What a slippery slope!

Retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, likes to quote a story from the biblical account of the Last Supper.
[…]
"And the question I always ask my brothers and sisters in the conservative denominations," Robinson says, "is, 'Could it be that God is leading us into a deeper truth about gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgender people?' "

Given that religious beliefs do change over time, that evolution may be more important than new legislation for the promotion of LGBTQ rights.

I have always thought that we are a test.

If I remember correctly from Catholicism class, doesn’t the Bible say something like… “'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Well do the conservatives pass the test?

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In other news a Republican state lawmaker in Alabama who voted for a bill that would criminalize doctors who providing healthcare to young trans children.

Alabama Republican busted looking at trans adult pics online after voting against trans rights

State Sen. Tom Whatley used his work account to show his appreciation of a "faerie princess."

LGBTQ Nation

By Alex Bollinger 

March 9, 2021

A Republican state lawmaker in Alabama was caught looking at transgender porn online, just a week after he voted in favor of a bill that attacks transgender minors’ access to lifesaving health care.

Alabama State Sen. Tom Whatley (R) liked an explicit tweet by the account “Bambi Hardcore TG 18+,” who describes themself as an “enbi trans girl faerie princess.”

“I love my new, fat, G-cup tiddies,” their tweet said, with a picture of their breasts. The tweet was posted on February 15, 2021, it appears in Whatley’s “Likes” feed, and his work-associated account is listed in the tweets’ likes.