Miss. Legislature Passes ‘Religious Liberty’ Bill That Legalizes Discrimination Against Gay People

[rug]

By Zack Ford
on April 2, 2014 at 9:03 am

The Mississippi legislature has passed legislation that would allow people to use their religion to justify discrimination. It seemed last month that the “religious liberty” bill had sufficiently stalled after the House voted to send it a study committee instead of passing it, with many members noting how it could be used to promote discrimination. However, both the House and Senate have approved a conference report on the bill, advancing it to Gov. Phil Bryant (R) with problematic language.

“Religious liberty” bills like the one vetoed in Arizona differ from other states’ “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” (RFRAs) because they extend religious protections to businesses. Mississippi’s bill has this same problem, because state law already defines a “person” to include “all public and private corporations.” Thus, if Bryant were to sign Mississippi’s bill into law, it would grant all businesses in the state a license to discriminate based on religious grounds.

Mississippi does not currently have any state or local nondiscrimination protections for the LGBT community, but a business could use this legislation to justify discrimination against
anybody not protected by federal law. Public accommodations that are supposed to provide equal access to all citizens could attempt to refuse service to divorcees, people who’ve had children outside of wedlock, or anyone else who might give rise to a religious objection. And if any town or city in Mississippivoted to extend protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity, businesses could claim that those protections violate their religious beliefs and insist on discriminating against LGBT people.

Though proponents of such “religious liberty” bills claim that they do not promote discrimination, the examples they cite to explain why such legislation is necessary entail photographers and bakers refusing service to same-sex couples. The Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins praised Mississippi for advancing this bill, specifically highlighting how it would protect “a wedding vendor, whose orthodox Christian faith will not allow her to affirm same-sex ‘marriage.’”

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/04/02/3421938/mississippi-religious-discrimination/

[AtheistCrusader]

1. gee, I wonder if they are misinterpolating the tents of their 'orthodox christian faith'?

Or will some other excuse for their boorish behavior be trotted out.

[rug]

2. You misunderestimate the republican platform.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. You're right.

They won't bother with excuses.

[rexcat]

4. Does one really think the...

state of Mississippi would ever allow same sex couples to marry? There is no point to this law other than the bigots tying to make a stupid point. For Tony Perkins to praise the idiots of Mississippi for passing this law only adds to his lack of credibility and humanity. I see him more as a worshiper of Jesus than a follower of Jesus but I see that a lot with his brand of religion.

If anyone has any concerns with my views of Mississippi or wants to label me anti-South, don't. I was born in that wretched state.