• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

GOP Lawmakers Introduce Disgusting Bill That Would Allow Religious Groups to Discriminate Against Gays

September 19, 2013 by Andy Towle

Earlier today, a group of Republican congressmen led by Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) introduced the 'Marriage and Religious Freedom Act' which would  “protect freedom of conscience for those who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman.”

The Washington Post reports:
Labrador

The bill drafted by Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) is a "narrowly-tailored piece of legislation" that would protect groups "from discrimination by the federal government," he said in an interview this week.

Labrador said he began drafting his proposal partly out of fear that the IRS and other federal agencies might unfairly target groups that oppose same-sex marriage after the Supreme Court struck down a federal law barring gay couples from obtaining federal benefit this summer.

After the court's decision, "there were a lot of ideas about what to do," Labrador said. "Some people looked at overturning it, or doing a constitutional amendment. I looked at the immediate need, which is the protection of religious institutions and churches, so that they can continue practicing their religion as they see fit."

The Human Rights Campaign reports that it "permits federal workers, as well as recipients of federal grants and contracts, to refuse to serve married same-sex couples based on their personal religious beliefs about marriage.  It also gives anyone the right to sue the federal government for monetary damages if he or she believes the federal government has discriminated against them based on their religious convictions regarding marriage for same-sex couples."

They offer a few examples:

If passed, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act would permit a federal worker processing tax returns, approving visa applications or reviewing Social Security applications to walk away from their responsibilities whenever a same-sex couple's paperwork appeared on his or her desk.  It would also allow a federally-funded homeless shelter or substance abuse treatment program to turn away LGBT people.  Despite the cosponsors claims, there is no evidence that federal programs have or would discriminate against individuals because of their religious beliefs about marriage.  Protections against discrimination based on religious belief are explicitly and robustly provided under the First Amendment and federal nondiscrimination statutes.

Here's a copy of the bill, via Think Progress.

They add:

The consequences of this legislation would be immense, such that a few individuals could short-circuit the rights of gay and lesbian couples across the country. Given its prudish inclusion of opposition to premarital sex, these consequences could likely apply to many straight couples as well.

BrownNOM has, of course, given the bill a major endorsement:

“This is a critical piece of legislation to protect religious liberty as a cornerstone of our country and deserves our full support,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “Efforts to redefine marriage pose a direct threat to the free exercise of religion. This legislation would protect the right of organizations to communicate their views about marriage without threat that the tax code will be used to punish them. We applaud Congressman Labrador and his colleagues for their leadership on this important issue.”

“This bill is crucial. Those who wish to redefine marriage would like nothing better than to wield the tax code as a weapon against those who hold a traditional view of marriage. Further, during the IRS hearings before the House Ways and Means Committee we all heard that some legislators would support stripping the tax-exempt status of some groups that support traditional marriage,” continued Brown. “Individuals and groups should be able to freely speak their views about marriage in the public square without fear of governmental reprisal including having their tax exemption stripped. This legislation protects religious freedom and our constitutional rights.”

The bill, they report, has 60 co-sponsors.

Filed Under: News, Republican Party Tagged With: discrimination, Discrimination, gay marriage, Gay Marriage, News, Raul Labrador, Raul Labrador, Republican Party

Recent Posts

  • Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    11 hours ago
  • Sun, Sand and Wide Open Spaces Await Travelers in Key West

    Sun, Sand and Wide Open Spaces Await Travelers in Key West

    13 hours ago
  • Biden Announces Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary Pick: WATCH

    Biden Announces Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary Pick: WATCH

    16 hours ago
  • Tyler Oakley Taking Indefinite Break from YouTube After 12 Years: WATCH

    Tyler Oakley Taking Indefinite Break from YouTube After 12 Years: WATCH

    16 hours ago
Previous Post: « Nick Jonas Offers a Preview of His Bicep Workout: VIDEO
Next Post: GMHC CEO Marjorie Hill Fired by Organization’s Board »

Primary Sidebar

  • Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

  • Sun, Sand and Wide Open Spaces Await Travelers in Key West

  • Biden Announces Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary Pick: WATCH

Recent Posts

  • Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    11 hours ago
  • Sun, Sand and Wide Open Spaces Await Travelers in Key West

    Sun, Sand and Wide Open Spaces Await Travelers in Key West

    13 hours ago
  • Biden Announces Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary Pick: WATCH

    Biden Announces Pete Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary Pick: WATCH

    16 hours ago
  • Tyler Oakley Taking Indefinite Break from YouTube After 12 Years: WATCH

    Tyler Oakley Taking Indefinite Break from YouTube After 12 Years: WATCH

    16 hours ago
  • USPS Releases Postmaster General’s Completely Redacted Calendar in Response to Demands from AOC and Watchdog Group Over Mail Slowdowns

    USPS Releases Postmaster General’s Completely Redacted Calendar in Response to Demands from AOC and Watchdog Group Over Mail Slowdowns

    17 hours ago
  • ‘Lincoln Project’ Co-Founder Steve Schmidt Says He’ll Register as Democrat, Warns of ‘Second Coup’ Attempt in ‘Dangerous Hour’ for the Country: WATCH

    ‘Lincoln Project’ Co-Founder Steve Schmidt Says He’ll Register as Democrat, Warns of ‘Second Coup’ Attempt in ‘Dangerous Hour’ for the Country: WATCH

    19 hours ago
  • Tom Cruise Rips into ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Crew Over COVID Protocols in F-Bomb Laden Tirade: LISTEN

    Tom Cruise Rips into ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Crew Over COVID Protocols in F-Bomb Laden Tirade: LISTEN

    19 hours ago
  • Outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Urges Career Staffers to ‘Be the Resistance’ Against the Biden Administration

    Outgoing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Urges Career Staffers to ‘Be the Resistance’ Against the Biden Administration

    20 hours ago
  • Palm Beach Community Sends Demand Letter to Trumps: Don’t Move Here

    Palm Beach Community Sends Demand Letter to Trumps: Don’t Move Here

    20 hours ago
  • Franklin Graham: ‘I am Grateful to God’ for Trump, Who ‘Will Go Down as One of the Great Presidents of Our Nation’

    Franklin Graham: ‘I am Grateful to God’ for Trump, Who ‘Will Go Down as One of the Great Presidents of Our Nation’

    20 hours ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2020 · Log in