LGBT battle far from over as 'religious freedom' bills multiply across the US

[Surya Gayatri]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/06/religious-freedom-bills-multiply-across-country-battle-is-far-from-over

The LGBT equality movement pocketed a major victory last week when religious freedom legislation perceived as “anti-gay” sparked a national uproar, forcing the governors of Indiana and Arkansas to defy social conservatives by rejecting discrimination against LGBT people.

The swift and overwhelming backlash that helped modify the religious freedom bills – spurred in particular by tech and business leaders – revealed a new front in the broader US culture wars over LGBT rights. Even as marriage equality emerges a winner in the national battle, other hard-won LGBT rights are being attacked under the guise of religious liberty.

The timing of religious freedom laws’ renewed popularity – just before the US supreme court is poised to rule same-sex marriage the law of the land – is no coincidence.

“It’s all about marriage,” Barney Frank, the former Massachusetts representative who was the first openly gay member of Congress, told the Guardian. “There were a number of states where they never had to worry about same-sex marriage, because they knew they were never going to pass it. And then the appeals court and supreme court ruled and now they have to confront the reality of same-sex marriage in their states.”

[merrily]

1. Fucking bigots. nt

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Well duh.

I, and many other GLBT people, have been saying this for a LONG time. Too many people thought as states fell in their anti-marriage equality laws, the battle was over (or almost over). Nope. We will face more of this, as well as though who don't think our struggle for equality is as important as those of others.

[Surya Gayatri]

3. Rabid cornered animals will fight to their last breath, which can't come too soon...

[irisblue]

4. thanks for posting this Surya

[Surya Gayatri]

5. You got it, irisblue!

[bl968]

6. Prediction

The supreme court will end up overruling them on the grounds that the federal government has a legitimate interest in preventing discrimination that overrides individual religious liberty.

As I say it boils down to the fact that your religious liberties stop when it infringes someone else's civil liberties.

[Surya Gayatri]

7. From your keyboard to the unisex entity that rules creation...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanarishvara

All Hail Ardhanārīśvara अर्धनारीश्वर

[RKP5637]

8. Some are in love with hatred and bigotry, they simply lust for persecution. Even after all of

this might be over, the hatefulness, bigotry and persecution will continue by some. Look at what has been done to all minorities over the years by god fearing bible thumping people with a cause. It will get better, but putrid hateful bigots will still be around in their creepy putrid pockets of hatred.

With improved communications of today, it is easier to identify where these pockets of hatred exist, and to avoid them, to halt business, to not visit, to shun them like a viral disease.

[Surya Gayatri]

9. Their contempt and disdain for their fellow humans know no bounds.

It's down to ignorance based on fear. Here's a case in point.



http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Gun-toting-gays-drive-fear-in-citizens-of-garrison-communities_16826316

[RKP5637]

10. Yep, substitute "gays" with any group and their ignorant attacks are the same. IMO they

have paranoid delusions, but seldom do I hear it called out for what it is. Their religion is just an excuse to pursue/exercise their paranoid delusions under their religious umbrella of hatred for any target they choose.

[Cosmocat]

11. Be it gay rights, women reproductive issues, voting rights ...

This is the thing I am constantly the kill joy here about.

People just lose site of how relentlessly republicans attack these things.

Yes, every now and then they over reach and something blows up in their faces, but the governors initial response was very telling - he said he was surprised at the blowback.

That is because for every situation like this that people actually tune into, they have pushed dozens of things like this through that people just did not pay any attention to.

All the happy, happy, joy, joy shit of THIS IS THE END FOR THEM runs so counter to what really exists.

They will just merrily keep going and live with the occasional dust ups.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. ^^^This!^^^

So much of this shite flies under the radar.

Thank the creative entity that there are 'watchdogs' out there, who follow movements on the ground more closely.

[City Lights]

13. Bigotry sucks.

The haters need to mind their own fucking business.