Who didn't see this one coming? Tonight, in emails that are circulating around the Kansas area, the Kansas Liberty Movement (the conservative kind of liberty, where it's liberty for some, not for others) began issuing out emails demanding action on KS SB 2453, which demands that religious liberty entitles owners and businesses the right to turn away gays.
http://www.kansas.com/...
Saying the Legislature has been cowed by a tiny minority of Kansans, Wichita-based tea party group Kansans for Liberty is launching an e-mail campaign to try to resurrect a bill that would allow government workers and businesses to deny service to gay couples.
In a message addressed to “conservative activists,” Kansans for Liberty leader Craig Gabel is asking his members and others to e-mail members of the state Senate who are refusing to allow a vote on House Bill 2453, called the Kansas Religious Freedom Act.
The bill easily passed the House, but has been put on indefinite hold in the Senate after a nationwide hailstorm of protest that the bill would give state sanction to discriminate against gay people.
Supporters of the bill say that it protects freedom of religion by allowing individuals to deny service if providing it “would be contrary to the sincerely held religious beliefs of the individual or religious entity regarding sex or gender.”
Kansans for Liberty is asking its activists to e-mail every senator to demand action on HB 2453.
A sample letter provided by the group says: “This is not a Christian battle this is a freedom battle, including the freedom of LGBT couples.”
It draws scenarios asserting that businesses run by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual individuals would benefit from being able to deny service to those who don’t share their beliefs.
“If an LGBT couple owned a meeting space would any of us like to force them to rent it for an anti-gay rally and wedding?” the sample letter says. “Should an African American and his LGBT partner be forced to lease his space or services for a KKK wedding?”
Thomas Witt, executive director of gay-rights group Equality Kansas, said it’s “false, start to finish” to assert that HB 2453 does anything to protect LGBT individuals.
Which makes me wonder: how do they have so much insider information about these KKK weddings?
Ok, that having been said, it would be easy to overlook the ramblings of those in the Kansas Tea Party. After all, this is likely just a fund that has a bunch of cranks sitting around on their computers banging out hate stuff, right? I mean, come on..
Oh wait..
http://www.kansansforliberty.com/...
Kansas 10th Amendment Dinner
A dinner and rally to support the idea that the people of Kansas are free from unconstitutional dictates of the Federal Government and the necessary sovereignty legislation to give us liberty from those dictates.
Our Speakers:
Kris W. Kobach
Kris W. Kobach is the Secretary of State for Kansas, sworn in on January 10, 2011. Kansas voters elected him by a wide margin on a platform focused on stopping voter fraud. With that goal in mind, Secretary Kobach began his term by introducing the Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) Act in the Kansas House of Representatives. The Act was adopted by both houses of the legislature on March 29, 2011 by wide margins with bipartisan support. Governor Brownback signed the SAFE Act on April 18, 2011
Because we all know, Voter fraud was the most significant issue to face Kansas in.. wait, how much voter fraud was there really? So far, I'm unaware of any. But that's OK. Because it was good enough for Kris Kobach to win a legislation and be the key speaker for this group of cranks. So maybe they aren't cranks, I mean, after all, if our attorney general is a member...
Thomas Witt, director of Equality for Kansas (and, FYI, a great guy) responds as so:
Witt said there’s no law now forcing anyone to rent their church or meeting space to anyone they don’t want to, and the idea that the bill would save a gay black person from being forced to rent space to a KKK wedding is “just ludicrous.”
Read more here:
http://www.kansas.com/...
So, just so we an make this clear: This legislation does nothing to allow Gay African American Men who refuse to rent their space to KKK Weddings, because, well, outside of the fact that isn't going to happen.. (has anyone thought that through? Does a KKK wedding want to give money to a gay black man for a wedding reception I mean, that would be ONE CONFUSED KKK member)..
It doesn't do anything for them because the KKK isn't a protected group, you aren't born a KKK member, you aren't later disabled to become a KKK member, and the rental of a space isn't covered anyway because bookings cannot be assured for the general public.
But, just so you know, Kansans for Liberty: All about Protecting both the Gay African American man AND the KKK person who wants a proper wedding.
I can't even picture it. My mind may explode.