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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMississippi’s New Anti-LGBT Bill Claims That Women Can Be Fired For Wearing Pants
Many states have considered bills that enable discrimination against the LGBT community, but Mississippis proposed legislation is perhaps the most explicit in this regard. HB 1523 spells out in storied detail all of the different ways that a person should be able to mistreat people for being LGBT without consequences from the government.
The bill does not pretend to be neutral; it only protects people with anti-LGBT religious beliefs and nobody else:
The sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions protected by this act are the belief or conviction that:
(a) Marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman;
(b) Sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage; and
(c) Male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individuals immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth.
Assessing what kind of discriminatory situations this would enable is easy, because the bill spells those out as well. So long as individuals are motivated by a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction, any of the following behaviors would have the endorsement of the government:
Religious organizations can decline to solemnize any marriage or provide any services related to recognizing that marriage.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/03/30/3764798/mississippi-anti-lgbt-bill/
Is there some race to the bottom these states are aiming for???
revbones
(3,660 posts)even starting to negotiate, and always willing to compromise rather than fight for something it leads to crap like that coming around much more often.
global1
(25,219 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)CrispyQ
(36,413 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,571 posts)It's unconstitutional on its face because (among other reasons) it is aimed at protecting only one set of "sincerely held religious beliefs." Since the Constitution prohibits either furthering or suppressing any expression of religion, they can't enact a statute that protects anti-LGBT religious beliefs but not, for example, the sincerely held religious beliefs of Muslims (e.g., the requirement to pray 5 times a day) or even Zoroastrians (who believe they should leave their dead on towers for the vultures). Of course, this is really just another way to kick LGBT people in the pants, disguised as merely protecting religious freedom. What a bunch of assholes. Nobody is free to oppress somebody else.
meow2u3
(24,757 posts)They're pushing for the end of Constitutional democracy and to replace it with a Christianist fundie theocracy, where Protestant fundamentalism is the established church and the law of the land and even non-fundie Christians would be violating the law.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,571 posts)They must have lawyers on a committee somewhere who can, and probably did, explain the problem to them - it's Con Law 101, ffs - but they'll do it anyhow, even knowing these laws won't survive a court challenge, because the mouthbreathing fundies love this shit, and will keep voting for the legislators who come up with it. The legislators will then blame the godless liberal commie judges for striking down the law.
BlueMTexpat
(15,365 posts)be on the books too long if it ever gets passed and actually signed into law.
These RW Christian religious fanatics do not see how they are exactly like the Taliban and Daesh.
dembotoz
(16,784 posts)the employer can proscribe that an employee must dress a certain way.
go into any fast foodery they are all dress the same.
same with airlines, cell phone stores. pretty much anyplace where employees deal with the public...the cops have to dress a certain way.....
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)If you are seeking classy, I'd go with the Police Constable from the UK...
But if it's fabulous you seek, then the Italian MP uniform is the way to go...
LostOne4Ever
(9,286 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Have they no shame at all?