Major strides in the LGBT rights movement have been made over the past year thanks to some progressive lawmakers and even President Obama himself. However, the movement may suffer a major blow if Michigan lawmakers have their way with a new anti-LGBT bill.
According to NewNowNext, this weekend, the Republicans in the Michigan State House passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which is also being called the “license to discriminate” bill, which would allow nearly anyone to refuse service to LGBT people if it went against their religious beliefs.
“I support individual liberty and I support religious freedom. I have been horrified as some have claimed that a person’s faith should only be practiced while hiding in their home or in their church,” said Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger.
Because the bill is so broadly written, the effects could be shocking, tremendous and inhumane for the LGBT community. For example, a pharmacist could refuse to refill a person HIV medications just because they’re LGBT. Or an EMT could refuse to give treatment to an injured or dying person just because they are LGBT.
The bill could also allow for racial and, ironically, religious discrimination, such as a Catholic school being able to fire their Muslim or Buddhist worker. Or the DMV being able to deny someone a driver’s license for being divorced.
Depsite the bill passing 59-50 along party lines, it has its fair share of detractors.
“The idea that we need to ‘restore’ religious freedom — rights that are already enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — is a farce created by conservative lawmakers for the sole purpose of appeasing their far-right donors and the religious right,” said Lonnie Scott of Progress Michigan.
The bill has yet to pass in Michigan Senate and be signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder, and we hope it never does, especially not with the way it allows for such broad and terrible discrimination. – nicholas robinson
