On Same-Sex Discrimination, GOP Gets Good Advice
Basically, the advice is "stop it."
And some of the best advice is coming from Republicans.
Arizona's two GOP US Senators are among people across the spectrum advising Jan Brewer, that state's Republican Governor, to veto a bill - - yes, it passed both houses of the Arizona Legislature - - that would allow business owners in Arizona to cite religious objections and deny services to customers.
The bill would give legal cover to marketplace barriers against homosexuals and raise all sorts of other discriminatory outcomes that could feed Arizona's economy and reputation into the shredder.
It's more than fair that Brewer has to bear the PR consequences of far-right, Tea Party-based legislating since Republicans nationally have been gay-baiting for years to solidfy their base.
This was certainly the case a few years ago when Republicans led the effort to embed bans on same-sex marriage into state law and the Wisconsin State Constitution.
The Wisconsin bans are now under challenge in federal court, and similar provisions have been unwound in other states prompting moves by the Obama administration to use federal pressures to weaken those laws effects.
Leading Wisconsin's Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen today to tell The New York Times that he doesn't need any advice on the matter from US Attorney General Eric Holder.
Van Hollen's gripe was principally procedural, but protocol aside, Holder put Van Hollen on the defensive about issues of economic and civil rights, and in this day and age that is not where you really want to be.
More and more voters nationally, espcially the young not raised with earlier generations' intolerance see discrimination against gays as old-fashioned and irrelevant.
Eventually - - but sooner rather than later - - these discrimimatory laws and practices will be wiped out and American society will be better for it.
Gov. Brewer is in something of a no-win position, and Van Hollen is, too - - though both can get themselves on the right side of history by backing away from the fartherst Right position within their party.
2 comments:
Personally, I think it's a stupid sort of business owner that would turn customers away on purpose.
Also, to those business owners who would like to refuse service to people who make them feel icky, just a word: You already have served them, and you will continue to even if this law passes. Gays are not as conveniently color-coded as are many minorities..
As Bugs Bunny would say "Bigots is the CWAYZIEST people!"
I don't think that most people have grasped the fact that the Arizona law would permit discrimination against anyone, not just members of the LGBT community, as long a religious justification is given. For instance, a Pentecostal could refuse service to a Catholic because he fervently believes the Pope to be a servant of the Devil. This is the sort of crap that leads to people burning down each others churches.
What's next, being allowed to shoot someone based on religious belief? That's quite a business development plan Arizona has there.
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