The most pro-LGBTQ Republican stand-bearer in history is ready to strike again—this time by filling the position of openly gay Army Secretary Eric Fanning with a homophobe. Amanda Terkel writes:
President Donald Trump is expected to choose as his Army secretary Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green (R), a legislator who is popular among many tea party Republicans and is the sponsor of a bill that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer advocates say takes direct aim at their community. [...]
Green is the sponsor of SB 127, a bill that would bar government entities from taking “discriminatory action against a business entity on the basis of the internal policies of the business entity.”
In other words, forget about nondiscrimination policies—feel free to use your business as a weapon of discrimination. There will be no repercussions. Tennessee not only has no statewide protections for gay and transgender people, but state law also prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting pro-LGBTQ nondiscrimination policies. Apparently that didn’t go far enough toward ensuring the ability to discriminate for Green. His bill aims to foreclose any opening local jurisdictions might use to encourage equitable treatment based on which businesses with which they choose to contract. But the measure isn’t limited to LGBTQ issues—it would also bar municipalities from only contracting with companies that cover contraception, for instance.
Why is it that Republicans always decry state interference in local affairs except for when it comes to LGBTQ and abortion issues. In those cases, it’s a GOP free-for-all.
Green would have to be confirmed and part of his questioning should absolutely focus on how he will ensure equitable treatment of gay and transgender troops who are putting their lives on the line for their country.
