Out of ‘religious freedom’ push, a clear pattern emerges

[rug]

Two protesters hold up signs against passage of legislation in North Carolina, which limits the bathroom options for transgender people, during a rally in Charlotte, N.C., March 31, 2016. Photo by Skip Foreman/AP

04/11/16 10:29 AM
By Emma Margolin

For anyone even moderately steeped in the LGBT rights fight, the wave of so-called “religious freedom” legislation and subsequent backlash has started to resemble a bad song whose lyrics you can’t quite forget.

In 2014, it was Arizona’s SB 1062; in 2015, it was Indiana’s SB 101; this year, North Carolina’s HB2 — while not expressly geared toward protecting “religious freedom” — has emerged as the most prominent piece of legislation seeking to unwind the advancements of the LGBT equality movement.

But HB2 is far from the only measure of its kind. And it likely won’t be the last.

“We’re going to continue to see this play out throughout this election year, but I don’t think this is truly an election year issue,” said Matt McTighe, executive director of the pro-LGBT group, Freedom for All Americans. “That’s why we have to reshape this fight as a fight for non-discrimination protections… Otherwise we’ll be putting out brush fires and playing whack-a-mole for the indefinite future.”

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/out-religious-freedom-push-clear-pattern-emerges