Anti-gay forces changing tactics on marriage

[William769]

Move over Federal Marriage Amendment: anti-gay forces are focusing on new ways to halt the advancement of marriage equality — and are already seeing some success at the state level.

As more states legalize same-sex marriage and efforts to pass a U.S. constitutional amendment prohibiting it have faded, the focus has shifted to containing federal recognition to marriage equality states and to advancing religious exemption bills allowing for discrimination against same-sex couples.

Outrage prompting calls for these measures was seen just last weekend when U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced he would extend federal recognition of same-sex marriages to programs under the Justice Department’s purview.

The changes were intended to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year against the Defense of Marriage Act. Among other things, they would allow married same-sex couples to file jointly for bankruptcy. In addition, spouses won’t be forced to testify against each other.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/02/13/anti-gay-forces-changing-tactics-on-same-sex-marriage/

[Jesus Malverde]

1. A religious exemption for state workers in providing services is disgusting.

People need to do their job for the state. If they cannot deal with some aspect of it, they need to get a new job. The state is secular, deal with it.

[Aerows]

2. Agreed

this is outrageous to even consider.

[theHandpuppet]

3. The current code phrase is "religious liberty"

That's the term now for religious exemptions for bigots. I've seen it used plenty of times, particularly at the site for the American Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has continued its anti-gay agenda full-bore.

[closeupready]

4. Religious liberty = you stop getting US taxpayer cash,

and start paying property taxes on St. Patrick's, 5th Avenue, and all the other well-placed organizational offices in your possession.

[sheshe2]

5. Let them try!

snip/

Sarah Warbelow, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, said passage of the bills could cause problems, such as allowing a county clerk to refuse to grant a marriage license.

“The state would still have to find someone to fill in, but it could make it more cumbersome for same-sex couples, not to mention hugely embarrassing,” Warbelow said. “No one should have to stand in line on the penultimate day of their marriage relationship only to find they have to go through a series of county clerks, one after another.”

The religious exemption measures aren’t exclusively found in the states. Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) in the U.S. House and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in the Senate have introduced legislation known as the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which would prohibit the federal government from discriminating against organizations that exercise “religious conscience” against same-sex marriage.

Raúl Rafael Labrador, Raul Labrador, Idaho, United States House of Representatives, Republican Party, gay news, Washington Blade
Rep. Raúl Rafael Labrador (R-Idaho) has introduced the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Rose Saxe, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT Project, said they’re meant to enable discrimination against gay couples seeking to wed in the states at a later point in time in anticipation of that ruling.

“But the ones that are explicitly anti-gay, we see those as as sort of ‘Plan B’ from the other side in the sense that they see marriage is coming and they’re trying to ensure that even in states where we don’t yet have marriage or robust non-discrimination laws that can preemptively enshrine the right to discriminate,” Saxe said.

snip/

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/02/13/anti-gay-forces-changing-tactics-on-same-sex-marriage/

Guess what? Those states are going to lose. They want to deny it, they want to derail it.

Yet it's in motion, a wave and it's happening! Scaaarrooo their narrow vision and hate. this is indeed a wave William. Sadly, they just don't know it yet. The power of the people are strong.

You would fight for me on Women's issues as strongly as I support yours. We stand together and will damn well fight together. It ain't over!

In an assertion of same-sex marriage rights, Attorney General Eric Holder is applying a landmark Supreme Court ruling to the Justice Department, announcing Saturday that same-sex spouses cannot be compelled to testify against each other, should be eligible to file for bankruptcy jointly and are entitled to the same rights and privileges as federal prison inmates in opposite-sex marriages. The Justice Department runs a number of benefits programs, and Holder says same-sex couples will qualify for them. They include the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and benefits to surviving spouses of public safety officers who suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries in the line of duty.







http://www.democraticunderground.com/110222176

[NCLefty]

6. We'll see them in court.

[closeupready]

7. +1000000.