Tag: same-sex marriage

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Indiana: Gov. Mike Pence Blames “Sloppy Reporting” on State’s “Perception Problem”

Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana

At a Tuesday morning press conference, Gov. Pence announced plans to amend the law before the end of the week. He added the changes will clearly state that RFRA is about “religious liberty, not discrimination,” adding the the law does not give anyone the right to turn away customers on religious grounds.

The odd take-away from the press conference was that the Governor plans to “fix” a law that he claims is not broken.

Blaming the national media for “sloppy reporting,” a beleagured Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana admitted the state’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” has caused a huge headache for the state and a terrible “perception problem.”

Pence said he concluded that it is necessary to move legislation to amend the law to make it clear that it does not give businesses the right to deny services to anyone.

“This law does not give anyone the right to discriminate. This law does not give anyone the right to deny services,” said the governor.

“I don’t support discrimination against gays and lesbians or anyone else. I abhor discrimination.”

That being said, the governor indicated that adding sexual orientation to the state’s civil rights laws was not on the table right now.

Pence said he will work with the Indiana legislature this week to make the changes he is seeking to the RFRA law.

“We will fix this and we will move forward,” he said.

(source)

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Indianapolis Star To State Legislature: “Fix This Now”

Excerpts from the Indy Star’s op-ed:

The consequences will only get worse if our state leaders delay in fixing the deep mess created.

Half steps will not be enough. Half steps will not undo the damage.

Only bold action — action that sends an unmistakable message to the world that our state will not tolerate discrimination against any of its citizens — will be enough to reverse the damage.

Gov. Mike Pence and the General Assembly need to enact a state law to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, education and public accommodations on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Those protections and RFRA can co-exist. They do elsewhere.

[snip]

We urge Gov. Pence and lawmakers to stop clinging to arguments about whether RFRA really does what critics fear; to stop clinging to ideology or personal preferences; to focus instead on fixing this.

Governor, Indiana is in a state of crisis. It is worse than you seem to understand.

The op-ed points to the fact that Indianapolis passed LGBT protections nearly a decade ago. To no negative results.

And the state could base passage of LGBT protections on that ordinance and get it done before the legislative session ends.

Will the leaders of Indiana’s legislative bodies hear this call for equality?

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Indiana Lawmakers Scramble As “License To Discriminate” Debacle Continues to Spiral

I know I’ve been writing a lot about the debacle in Indiana regarding the passage of SB101 – the so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

As an interested party, it’s fascinating to see how government will/will not or can/cannot react to situations like this.

I’m captivated watching this press conference today with Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem David Long where said they are prepared to urge legislative colleagues to adapt the RFRA’s language to “clarify” the law.

That sounds good. At first.  But all indications seem to be that they aren’t really proposing any real changes to the anti-gay legislation. The word “clarify” is all they seem to come up with here.

Don’t let the 30 minute time length intimidate you. Just watch the first two minutes. Really incredible to see the two lawmakers scramble to try and get this under control.

It’s of interest to me that they pretend that they didn’t see this backlash coming. At one point, one of the two says that they never heard strong objections over the bill during it’s passage. And yet, I know voices were raised.

Perhaps they thought it would just be a couple of LGBT advocacy groups and some bloggers? Wrong.

Trust and believe they knew EXACTLY what this law was and is. They knew it was born of anti-gay animus.

Over and over they proclaim the law does not discriminate; that it’s a “mischaracterization” and a “misconception” about the law.

Asked if they would consider adding sexual orientation to the state’s protected classes, they rear back saying that would be too difficult for now.

Just… watch the video. Very interesting political theater.

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Portland Mayor Suspends City-Funded Travel To Indiana Over “License To Discriminate”

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales follows other mayors across the country in suspending city-funded travel to the state of Indiana.

“Gov. Mike Pence and the Indiana Legislature have to understand that such blatant discrimination against their own citizens cannot stand. We, as a country, have moved so far from those shameful practices of the past,” Hales said.

“It is regrettable that the great city of Indianapolis, led by its very effective mayor, Greg Ballard, is being dragged down by the reactionary efforts of the State Legislature and the governor.”

“Indiana isn’t the first state to adopt this backward, discriminatory policy, but most states have sexual-orientation language in their civil rights statutes to protect LGBT residents,” Hales said.

“Indiana doesn’t offer these same protections. All states have to realize that government-sponsored discrimination against LGBT residents in the United States of America has to stop.”

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North Carolina: Gov. McCrory Speaks Out Against “Religious Freedom” Legislation

Speaking on WFAE’s Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory (R) spoke out against a bill in his state’s legislature that would mimic the controversial “Religious Freedom” laws in Indiana, which could allow for legalized discrimination against LGBT folks.

“What is the problem they’re trying to solve?” McCrory said during a radio interview. “I haven’t seen it at this point in time.”

McCrory also denounced a bill approved in the state Senate that would allow magistrates to “opt-out” of performing same-sex marriages if they were so inclined.

“I don’t think you should have an exemption when you took an oath to uphold … the constitution of North Carolina,” he said.

(via Charlotte Observer)

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Marriage News Watch – March 30, 2015

From the American Foundation for Equal Rights:

Texas has won the right to have gays and lesbians fired for taking medical leave.

The state’s also working on a sneaky work-around to stop marriage equality, just in case the Supreme Court overturns the state’s ban.

And Alabama officials says that maybe gays and lesbians don’t want to get married after all.

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Phyllis Schlafly: Governors Should Defy SCOTUS On Marriage Equality Decision

Months away from a decision on same-sex marriage, and the loonies are already freaking out.

Eagle Forum founder Phyllis Schlafly told Focal Point host Bryan Fischer that state governors should simply “refuse to enforce” a Supreme Court decision striking down bans on same-sex marriage.

She also urged President Obama or whoever replaces him to direct the Attorney General to defy the court, just as the federal government should have ignored the Dred Scot ruling before the Civil War.

“We just cannot live in a country where one judge or even five judges are able to change the law of our land that goes against the laws of most of our states and we’ve had for several thousands of years about the definition of marriage, that is simply not our form of government,” Schlafly said. “We believe in ‘We The People.’”

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Texas Lawmaker Attempts To Supersede SCOTUS On Same-Sex Marriage

A Texas lawmaker believes he can pass legislation that would supersede a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on same-sex marriage.

The “Preservation of Sovereignty and Marriage Act” by Magnolia Republican Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. will be heard Wednesday.

It says no state or local funds could be used to “license, register, certify or support” gay marriage. It would also prohibit officials from recognizing, granting or enforcing gay marriage licenses.

Bell says, “This is about the sovereignty of the states.”

SCOTUS will hear arguments regarding marriage equality at the end of April with a decision due in June.

Mr. Bell may want to take a look into the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution…

(h/t JMG)

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Russia Fails In Attempt To Block Benefits To Same-Sex Married United Nations Staffers

By a vote of 80-43 (37 abstaining), the United Nations blocked a proposal from Russia to deny benefits to UN staffers who are legally married.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had led a proposal to offer benefits to all spouses of legally-wed gay UN staffers.

The AP reports:

Currently, family benefits for U.N. staff members are determined by their country of origin. The secretary-general’s plan will give family benefits to all staffers who are legally married — regardless of the laws on same-sex marriage in their home countries.

The secretary-general has been an outspoken supporter of gay rights.

Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Syria joined Russia in opposing the benefits.

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Alabama: Judge Roy Moore Hopes He Doesn’t Die Fighting Marriage Equality

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore spoke yesterday at a hate rally meant to whip up those opposed to equal rights for the LGBT community.

During his speech, Moore showed a flair for the melodramatic:

“William Barret Travis from Conecuh County, Alabama, came to draw a line in the sand at the Alamo. He took a stand in the face of an enemy that was far more numerous, but he knew that he had to make a statement for the people of Texas and that he would give his life.

“I hope I don’t give my life, but I’m going to tell you this is a very serious matter. There’s today another threat not only in Texas and Alabama, but across our country where state and federal court judges have overruled constitutional amendments passed by the people of those states, and people have just sat by and watched it out of fear of the federal government.

“But nothing in the Constitution of the United States, nothing in the laws or precedence of the federal courts give federal courts any authority over domestic policy of family and marriage in the state of Texas, in the state of Alabama, or anywhere else.”

What Moore gets wrong here is that the amendments to keep loving gay and lesbian couples from marrying are unconstitutional.

The constitution very clearly guarantees all Americans the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Clearly, marrying the person you love is a part of life’s “pursuit of happiness.”

When you couple that with the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause it’s clear the state’s that passed marriage equality bans years ago did so out of fear and animus, not “constitutionality.”

I’m all for Roy Moore’s right to be dramatic. Let him get onstage somewhere if that’s his thing. But working against the rights of others is a second rate act that is getting less and less approval on the national stage.