Wednesday, April 6, 2016

No Gays Allowed: The Rebirth of Jim Crow and Segregation

Imagine going to a restaurant and finding a sign that reads "No Gays Allowed".  One would think we were back in the 1950s where signs reading "No Blacks Allowed" were commonly seen.  The problem is, we don't have to imagine it as states such as Indiana, Arkansas, North Carolina and Mississippi have passed "religious freedom" laws that basically give individuals, businesses, organizations and religiously associated groups the ability to hang "No Gays Allowed" signs outside their doors.

These so called "religious liberty" laws give license to discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community without legal repercussion all because of "religious views" of the person doing the discriminating.  Of course, those who want these laws on the books all claim that they are being "persecuted" for having "Christian" views.  So, to battle this so called persecution, they want the ability to tell LGTBQ persons that their business is not welcome.

In these states, it is perfectly legal to deny employment to someone who is LGBTQ.  They are also able to deny public services, lodging, housing and in North Carolina & Mississippi, government services.  All legal, as long as you hold a "religious belief" that LGBTQ people are bad.

We won the fight for marriage equality.  Now is the time to fight for equal rights across the board.

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