Jeremy Hooper over at Good As You points out the Montana Family Foundation’s new tactic of rebranding LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances as “Forced Participation Ordinances” in the hopes of drumming up more opposition.
Writes MFF:
What would Montana look like if the government could force you to say something you did not believe, or force you to participate in an activity that violates your conscience? It would forever change who we are as a people, and it’s closer to happening than you may think.
Forced Participation Ordinances (FPOs), or Non-Discrimination Ordinances (NDOs) as our opponents like to call them, supposedly ban discrimination of homosexuals, bisexuals and transvestites. FPOs have already passed in Missoula, Helena and Butte, and efforts are underway to pass them in Bozeman, Billings and Dillon, as well.
The MFF letter goes on to state that the ordinances “trample religious freedom,” “threaten public safety” (no evidence provided) and are ultimately unnecessary:
We need to remind government officials that there’s a big difference between true tolerance and forced participation. True tolerance is what we have now. In fact, Montana is so tolerant that our opponents have trouble pointing to any examples of discrimination. The Missoula ordinance was passed three years ago and the Helena ordinance was passed nearly two years ago, and neither has been used. Not even once. If this becomes state law, Montana’s live-and-let-live attitude will give way to forced participation, and Christians will become targets.
