“LTD” Against “LGBT”
Posted by Michelle Moquin on November 19th, 2014
Good morning!
Won’t it be fun to see all the changes that are sure to take place once the repubs take over? It’ll be even more fun when the laws they pass come back and bite them in the ass. (finger’s crossed:)
From Think Progress:
Texas Lawmaker Wants Constitutional ‘License To Discriminate’ Against LGBT Workers And Customers
State Sen. Donna Campbell (R), seen here looking up at Rick Santorum in 2013, is proposing a constitutional amendment protecting a religious right to discriminate against LGBT people.
Texas businesses would be allowed to fire LGBT employees and turn away LGBT customers under a new proposal issued Monday by state Sen. Donna Campbell (R).
Campbell’s proposal would strengthen existing protections in Texas for the “right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief,” a legal maneuver that critics have described as a “license to discriminate.” This year, many state legislatures have considered putting the religious rights of business owners over the civil rights of would-be customers. Similar proposals in Kansas, North Carolina, South Dakota,Arizona, and Oregon ultimately failed this year, while a number of other states have held that the law protects LGBT folks from discrimination even if that discrimination is based in scripture.
Mississippi signed a license to discriminate into law, and Kentucky lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto to put their own religious freedom law into effect. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers who are trying to extend non-discrimination protections to LGBT couples have so far been stymied.
These laws have come into vogue after numerous anti-LGBT small business owners have refused service to LGBT clients in Kentucky, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, Iowa, Colorado, and other states in recent years. Many of these disputes involve bakeries and other vendors who refuse to contract for services at same-sex weddings, but some businesses have refused to print Pride t-shirts or put rainbow frosting on an order of cookies.
Conservative political forces have leaped to these companies’ aid, arguing that their religious convictions about sexuality trump everyone else’s civil rights against discrimination. Those calls grew louder after this summer’s Supreme Court decision that a retailer called Hobby Lobby did not have to provide health insurance that covers birth control due to the company’s religious views, a ruling that reversed decades of precedent whereby legal protections tied to religious faith were limited to actions that did not impede other people’s rights.
Sen. Campbell’s new proposal in Texas is her second bite at the license-to-discriminate apple. Her first, in 2013, didn’t go very well. Critics pointed out that by amending the state constitution as she proposes, lawmakers would empower Westboro Baptist Church protesters to attend military funerals rather than protesting them from afar. One commentator applauded Campbell’s intentions but warned that the way her proposal was written might some day allow a person to claim a sincere religious belief in the right to an abortion, effectively legalizing abortion in Texas.
Her new proposal is “nearly identical” to the 2013 version, according to the Lone Star Q, which also notes that Texas already has a statute on the books that “provides strong protections for religious freedom.” Campbell’s proposal removes a key adverb from the legislative language, which a lawmaker who helped pass the existing religious freedom law says would render the protections far too expansive.
While many conservatives are convinced that the religious liberty to discriminate against LGBT coworkers and clients is under attack, there are still29 states where it is completely legal to fire someone for their sexual orientation. Workplace discrimination against transgendered people remains legal in 32 states. The federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)passed the Senate last year, but never had a chance of advancing in Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) House of Representatives.
Even before Republicans retook the Senate earlier this month, ENDA alreadylost significant support from progressive LGBT groups who feel that the laws carve-outs for religious employers are too broad. With ENDA politically dead for the time being, President Obama has used executive authority to provide workplace discrimination protections to federal workers and anyone employed by a business that contracts with the government, and has not provided religious carve-outs in those executive orders.
*****
Live and let live, baby.
Comments? Thoughts? Blog me.
So sad about the murders that took place in the Jerusalem Synagogue. My blessings go out to their families and friends.
Where is the PEACE & LOVE?
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Thank you for your loyal support!
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2014
“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream
" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"
November 19th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
You tell the bastards Michelle.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:32 pm
“I do not understand how Michelle could possibly have any questions regarding my past posts. This is her Blog and she chose to remove the Archives which she is in possession of. They contain every word posted on this blog in the past.”
Cool your fucking jets Howie. Sometimes you can be as pompous and pretentious as hell. So she chose to remove her Archives. Does that mean she can no longer ask Mr. High and Mighty a question. Get over your fucking self.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
How dare you give Zen Lill a hard time. Howie you are behaving like a fucking bully. No one is asking you to come up with exact quotes. They were just expressing an interest in some of your posts. If you are going to take that “I’m all that fucking attitude,” maybe they should just forget about talking to you period.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:41 pm
Damn Howie, I thought you were better than that. First you totally disrespect Michelle, then you go off on our girl Zen Lill.
Get a gottdamn grip Mr. my-shit-don’t-stink. Zen Lill was just asking for a few past tidbits. If you don’t remember fine. You don’t have to make such a big deal about it.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Take a Chill Pill Howie. We know you are one of the big wheels here, you don’t have to be so bossy.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Who should actually give a damn what the right does to LGBTs, they voted republican. so let them suffer.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
“Zen Lill: You of all people should know better. What if you were asked to come up with everything important you have written about?”
Howie, shame on you. Didn’t your mother raise you better? Zen Lill NEVER asked you to come up with everything important you have written about or even anything important you have written about. She merely said if you did feel like sharing some of the old stuff you had contributed you fans would appreciate it.
I used to be a fan, but you can shove your alien shit up your ass if you are going to be so stuck up about it.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:02 pm
Howie, I am one of those “Newbies” you suggest has missed the boat, I had come to look forward to your post and as a fan I was interested in knowing more about the author, but you have turned me off with your Mr. High and Mighty attitude.
From now on, I won’t bother to read anything you post. This Newbie can find other interesting things on this blog. So you can go fuck yourself. Life indeed moves forward.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:03 pm
“As far as my relationship with Carr: It has been 35 years since we met and that is a long time and so many things have happened. How could I remember what I wrote seven or six or even five years ago accurately?”
No body is asking you remember every fucking thing. We were you fans asking for a few gems here and there. That sound you are hearing is us leaving the blog when you post.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Don’t be so hard on Howie, He like the rest of us occasionally gets up on the wrong side of the bed. Give him a break.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Howie, your real solid fans are still solid!.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Howie, you were little hard on Zen Lill and Michelle. They and we are not demanding anything from you, they and we were merely suggesting that if you remembered something you wanted to share we as fans would love to hear it.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Howie is all the fan worship getting to you? You don’t have to be so defensive. Your fans would be willing to take what you are willing to give them.
You could say no, nicer. Just saying.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
Fuck the gay community. They had their chance to stand up and be counted. The white ones voted republican. Enjoy your racism.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:11 pm
People are jumping all over the LGBT community. Why not scream at all those lazy niggers that didn’t go to the polls?
November 19th, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Couldn’t happen to better class of citizenry.
November 19th, 2014 at 10:57 pm
Wow, well thank you for all the back up everyone.
Although…
Howie, it was just a simple request for any highlights you recall just for a newbies summary of highlights (like Azza first arriving on the blog and the connections w climax crew, Tao, the empower, sweeteno, the simulator and cyborgs, etc… the 3 gods including CARR, an overview of things newbies might enjoy knowing that aren’t too hard to tecall) and for me for nostalgia sake.
Had I known the archives wouldn’t be available id have copied them. I believe they were shut down bc people were making noises about writing screenplays, and they did anyway and we still don’t have access so now…
… I just try to recall whatever I can recall bc I tend to live in the moment … I guess you do, too.
Ocassionally I get nostalgic for the early days here, thought we could have some fun with it, and nope I definitely do not recall everything I’ve ever said here, lol…
Luv, Zen Lill
November 20th, 2014 at 12:27 am
Hafa Adai Howie. I was enthralled by your story about the USS Jefferson City. I checked and found out something indeed mysterious is going on. http://www.guampdn.com/article/20141117/NEWS01/141117003
Can you give us the real story. Why is the sub still marooned in Guam? Are we in any danger from the aliens? Is that why Pearl Harbor refuses to allow the sub to dock there?
November 20th, 2014 at 9:32 am
Hey!! this is nice! The Russian tourists love our island. http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/business/tourism/item/886-popular-travel-blogger-from-russia-shares-how-russian-travelers-view-guam
November 20th, 2014 at 10:15 am
I have no hard feelings regarding the negative words sent my way by some readers. It is over as far as I am concerned.
I would like to console Peter on Guam.
Hafa Adai Peter: You are on the Island of Guam — the safest place on earth concerning Aliens and the weather disturbances they can cause.
No Alien will send a trunami or storm to Guam. It is off-limmits to them. You can be at ease when it comes to Aliens.
The U.S does not want to let any information out concerning Aliens either because the tourist trade is a major source of income for Guam.
Rest Easy,
HOWIE