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[Aselith]

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/02/11/3748657/west-virginia-rfra/

Thursday afternoon, the West Virginia House of Delegates approved the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by a vote of 72-26. Its advocates have warned that the advance of LGBT rights has encroached upon religious liberty.

During the debate, Democrats opposed to the bill (HB 4012) called out the discriminatory intentions behind RFRA. “We already have religious freedom,” Del. Stephen Skinner (D) countered, “Click your heels three times; you’re already home.” He pointed out how the LGBT community is already at risk of discrimination, highlighting a county clerk in West Virginia who just this week castigated a same-sex couple seeking a marriage license, calling them an “abomination” and ruining what should have been their special day.

Several amendments that would have clarified that RFRA could not be used to supersede local nondiscrimination ordinances were defeated on Wednesday. There are seven municipalities in West Virginia that offer such protections to the LGBT community.

My state messed up a bit today

 

[chaosblade]

Religious liberty argument is such bullshit because it's so hypocritical.

"You don't get your rights because it's against my religion."

So now religious freedom of LGBT folks has been encroached upon by forcing them to conform to (presumably) Christian values as a result of "restoring" religious freedom. Nice job.


I also wonder how this would go over if it was used to discriminate against Christians instead of non-Christians. Kind of like how Louisiana freaked out when an Islamic private school tried to get access to money that was perfectly okay for Christian private schools.

 

[MUnited83]

So much for the separation of church and state, uh? Congrats on setting yourself backwards >100 years.

 

[Ihyll]

But both parties are the same

Am I right?

 

[excelsiorlef]

72-26!!!! Fucking hell...

 

[Razmos]

Its nice feeling like a second class citizen.

 

[Kenai]

I hope this get gutted the same way Indiana's did. it actually did end up being a net benefit here. We even got a Dem majority House now for the first time in 10? years, and they are definitely less discriminatory.

Took a national outcry before that happened though...

 

[everyday math]

Disgusting...

 

[OrangeGrayBlue]

One of the representatives gave a really powerful speech against this bill. A shame there's so little common sense in my home state.

 

[kavanf1]

Just another example of why religion has no place in government. Appalling.

 

[Aselith]

One of the representatives gave a really powerful speech against this bill. A shame there's so little common sense in my home state.

This one? https://www.facebook.com/WVhousedems/videos/732482933518753/?pnref=story

Yeah I thought it was very good as well although he lost his steam there at the end.

 

[OrangeGrayBlue]

This one? https://www.facebook.com/WVhousedems/videos/732482933518753/?pnref=story

Yeah I thought it was very good as well although he lost his steam there at the end.

Yep! Thanks for finding it.

 

[DarthWoo]

Apparently Georgia's legislature just passed a similar bill a few days ago, which will likely be signed. At least one large business has declared they shall be leaving the state as a result.

http://www.advocate.com/business/20...ny-fleeing-georgia-after-passage-antigay-bill

The first casualty of Georgia’s House Bill 757, the so-called First Amendment Defense Act, is a global business in the telecom industry that is based in Decatur, according to The New Civil Rights Movement, The firm is 373K, and it announced the move via Twitter.



We are very saddened by the Georgia Senate which passed #HB757 also known as #FADA. It's time to relocate. pic.twitter.com/AhQFaZ41dx

— 373K, Inc. (@373KInc) February 19, 2016



HB757 provides legal protection to individuals and corporations that discriminate against LGBT people and same-sex couples across the state, including the Ku Klux Klan.

This license to discriminate bill passed easily Friday, by a vote of 38-14. And this week, it goes to the House, where an earlier version of the measure sailed through. And even though there’s been no official declaration by the Republican governor, it’s likely Nathan Deal will sign it into law.

 

[aeolist]

actual conservatives can't even vote against it to save lots of money on the inevitable lawsuit that will overturn the law

the republican base demands wasteful and pointless gestures that serve only to threaten vulnerable minorities

 

[GillianSeed79]

Props to Skinner for calling bullshit on this bill. He's a pretty decent guy and the county represents is one of the only liberal places in the state, but I'm so glad on so many levels that I don't live in that fucking state anymore now that I'm back in my native liberal Maryland.

 

[MIMIC]

Didn't another state try to do this last year?

 

[thefro]

Didn't another state try to do this last year?

Indiana... blowback was so bad they had to pass a "fix" and now there's talk of repealing the law completely. There's also been a big push for LBGT rights protection in state laws but that was blocked by social conservative Republicans.

 

[Team Alucard]

Could someone explain the practical purpose of these laws other than being a symbolic middle finger to LGBT people? Indiana, Georgia, and WV were already among the many states that have no discrimination protections for LGBT people, so I don't see what these RFRAs are actually changing, other than scoring political points with the tea party electorate.

 

[neshcom]

highlighting a county clerk in West Virginia who just this week castigated a same-sex couple seeking a marriage license, calling them an “abomination” and ruining what should have been their special day

The clerks don’t dispute that Allen told the couple that what they were doing was wrong and that they would be judged, but they also stressed that they did not view the statement as an “attack.”

“We did not attack them,” Allen said. “We did not yell at them. We were not aggressive with them. I felt I talked nicely to them.”

God damn, this is so tone-deaf and disgusting. All of them should lose their jobs.

And fuck this bill too! There's only so much "this is just some one-off fuckery" you can rationalize. Every story like this brings me closer and closer to breaking down.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Do they know there are other religions than Christianity?

 

[Hale-XF11]

Evil in action at the state level. Pretty sad. No separation of church and state whatsoever.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

House Majority Whip John O’Neal (R) has defended the bill, arguing that the Constitution “doesn’t guarantee anyone’s right to have any particular kind of lifestyle or behavior protected, but it guarantees the free exercise of religion.

There it is again: the "lifestyle" and "behavior" shit. They don't see this as a sexual orientation as they believe there is only one.

This is why conservatism will never be compatible with modern, civilized nations.

 

[Kylarean]

Ugh... my state, what are you doing?

 

[Robot Carnival]

the LGBT community should start up a religion of their own, spread it around and then said those other religions (*cough* Christian *cough) are encroaching upon their liberty.

 

[Geist-]

Edit: Nvm, misread the map.

 

[Poltergust]

Are there any rumblings for a Supreme Court case that can possibly make sexual orientation and gender identity federally-protected classes?

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

the LGBT community should start up a religion of their own, spread it around and then said those other religions (*cough* Christian *cough) are encroaching upon their liberty.

what should it be called tho?

 

[Slayer-33]

what should it be called tho?

U thot two times

 

[Squalor]

My state messed up a bit today

Has West Virginia ever gotten anything right?

 

[Bladenic]

So happy my college, WVU, is in high opposition to this. But clearly there Republican religious nut job morons don't give a fuck what the people want. Although knowing the vast majority of WV, it's probably got more support than not.

 

[unholyrevenger72]

Could someone explain the practical purpose of these laws other than being a symbolic middle finger to LGBT people?

You answered your own question. It's just a big Ole' Fuck You to any one who is different.

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

U thot two times

That'll do.

 

[Aselith]

Has West Virginia ever gotten anything right?

Siding with the north in the Civil War?

 

[GaimeGuy]

God damn, this is so tone-deaf and disgusting. All of them should lose their jobs.

And fuck this bill too! There's only so much "this is just some one-off fuckery" you can rationalize. Every story like this brings me closer and closer to breaking down.

The nerve of that piece of shit. No, you were not just talking. No, you were not being respectful. Yes, you were attacking them. You were saying that they were wrong and that they would be judged, an in no uncertain terms did you imply that for their transgressions during their few decades on earth, they will suffer and be tormented in hell for all eternity. There is no greater attack or insult. Keep your religious views to yourself while fulfilling your professional duties on behalf of the state.

 

[Vicetrailia]

Republicans doing what they do best.

 

[Z_Y]

Siding with the north in the Civil War?

 

[Ekdrm2d1]

Thursday afternoon, the West Virginia House of Delegates approved the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by a vote of 72-26.

Religion should be not be at the Governmental level.

 

[Seth Enosh]

Religion should be not be at the Governmental level.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Freedom_Restoration_Act

It passed the Senate 97-3 in the 90s but the state level portion was invalidated by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

This is a crappy law (Scalia pointed out the massive issues that increasing the definition of religious freedom like this can cause) and has way more effects than just a "license to discriminate". It's interesting that it's being talked about that way in states like WV where there is no anti gay discrimination law anyway. This law will basically open Pandora's box for people of various religions to file lawsuits trying to bend or break different laws.

Just to add to the info here's a graphic from Wikipedia of states that have a state RFRA. Many of these are from the 90s and aren't related to gay marriage politics (this does not include states where state Supreme Court precedent about "free exercise of religion" is similar to the Sherbert Test and acts similarly to RFRA without a statute)