The new Indiana law is the talk of the LGBTQ town, and I'm sure that everyone has heard of this lovely trend (Georgia is working on another RFRA bill, last I heard it hasn't passed yet. To those of you who don't know what these RFRA acts are, they basically legalize businesses to discriminate, more on that below). I like to think of myself as a member of the LGBTQ community in my area, so you can imagine my utter disappointment when I heard dear old NC is trying to pass one of their own. The basis of 'religious freedom' seems a little fishy to me. Granted, I'm no expert in politics... but something about the bridge between church (I suppose you could call it) and the states sounds familiar. More and more, it seems like people tend to forget that oppression of rights (gay, black, the neon green people of pluto, etc.) suppressed their rights to an extent as well.
In short, new ways of getting back at the gays? Count NC in!
To further beat a dead horse, the Indiana law basically says that businesses will have the right to deny individuals services on the basis of religious belief. It comes in a time where the LGBTQ community is growing in its legal rights and supporters. True, florists can turn away gay folk from getting their flowers at their wedding, venues can refuse to rent out their locations to trans panels, and so on. There is a bigger picture than this oppressing the LGBTQ folks. Since the law doesn't specify LGBT rights, it can apply to anyone who stands in the crosshairs of a religious belief. Jay Michaelson over at The Daily Beast puts it better that I could:
Restaurants could refuse to serve gay or interracial couples, city clerks could refuse to marry interfaith couples, hotels could keep out Jews, housing developments could keep out black people (Genesis 9:18-27), pharmacies could refuse to dispense birth control, banquet halls could turn away gay weddings, schools could specifically allow anti-gay bullying, and employers could fire anyone for any “religious” reason.
Enough with the backstory, now to NC's sneaky little act.
On March 24th, a new act is brought to the NC General Assembly under the sponsorship of reps
Bishop and
Schaffer,
A shiny new RFRA act is unveiled!
The act proceeds to state that businesses have:
the ability to act or refuse to act in a manner substantially motivated by one's sincerely held religious beliefs, whether or not the exercise is compulsory or central to a larger system of religious belief.
Alright, let people believe whatever they want to believe, I'm 100% fine with
personal belief (even if I don't agree with it). But when an entire state allows protection to those who want to openly discriminate against anyone under the excuse of religion, everyone hurts. The anti-rights businesses will lose people, the state will lose tourists and major events, and the individuals of North Carolina will lose a bit of their justice and liberty every day that this continues. Indiana already has a limp from their archaic decision, how bad will NC get hit? Will my beautiful (and massively LGBTQ) city get thrown into the ninth circle of bigotry?
Shit, there's always Canada.