States kick off legislative session with anti-LGBT moves

Lyv · Jan 24, 2015

I've been reading story after story about various proposed anti-GLBTQ legislation, most in response to pro-marriage equality decisions. I've thought of starting a thread or two, but this piece includes a good sampling of them. I'd like to say not one has a chance, thanks to the Constitution, but I can't.

States kick off legislative session with anti-LGBT moves

They're pretty horrific, and the article has a nifty chart, but I'll pick two:

In Oklahoma, one of the most conservative states where gay and lesbian couples can legally wed, a Republican lawmaker has introduced legislation that would take away the power of judges to preside over weddings, giving it solely to religious officials.

Atheists or others who don't want a religious wedding can request a common-law marriage (which few states even recognize). I'm serious.

Senate Bill 76, also known as the “Kentucky Student Privacy Act,” would require school policies regarding male and female bathroom, locker room, and shower use to center on the gender students were assigned at birth. Transgender students, who identify with a different gender than that which they were assigned at birth, would be restricted to using special facilities, like a unisex or faculty bathroom. The bill would also allow any student who encounters a transgender person in the wrong restroom to sue the school for up to $2,500 for “all psychological, emotional and physical harm suffered.”

Some of us see another gay or transgender child or adult commit suicide and say, "No more." And some say, "Not enough."

Cyia · Jan 24, 2015

The bill would also allow any student who encounters a transgender person in the wrong restroom to sue the school for up to $2,500 for “all psychological, emotional and physical harm suffered.”

I foresee many lengthy legal battles over which restroom is the wrong one. "Wrong" is a subjective term. A m-f transgendered individual may be in the girl's restroom, but another girl may think she's wrong to be there, however for the first girl to be forced to use the male bathroom would be not only wrong for the first girl, but also may be perceived as wrong by the boys in that bathroom, meaning there's no bathroom a transgendered child could choose that wouldn't be "wrong" to someone.

Diana Hignutt · Jan 24, 2015

WTF is wrong with these people?

I sense an avatar change coming up...

Alessandra Kelley · Jan 24, 2015

Cyia said:
I foresee many lengthy legal battles over which restroom is the wrong one. "Wrong" is a subjective term. A m-f transgendered individual may be in the girl's restroom, but another girl may think she's wrong to be there, however for the first girl to be forced to use the male bathroom would be not only wrong for the first girl, but also may be perceived as wrong by the boys in that bathroom, meaning there's no bathroom a transgendered child could choose that wouldn't be "wrong" to someone.

I suspect that is a deliberate strategy of making life impossible for transgendered children.

How swollen with Christian love and charity for the least among us these legislators are.

backslashbaby · Jan 24, 2015

Interesting article!

Florida is considered 'Deep South', though, surely? "South Carolina and – as of late Friday – Alabama are the only states in the Deep South where gay and lesbian couples can legally wed. But more could be on the way...." It doesn't get any deeper than Florida, lol. But I never know which states are included in that phrase. I do appreciate it rather than lumping all Southern states together, since we're often quite different (NC girl here).

Here is the map I go to to check these things out, anyway:
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/

Lyv · Jan 24, 2015

Alessandra Kelley said:
I suspect that is a deliberate strategy of making life impossible for transgendered children.

How swollen with Christian love and charity for the least among us these legislators are.

I agree.

I think most of the proposed laws are just pure animus. I am not even sure that chart, with all those anti-GLTBQ (and one anti-atheist) bills, is comprehensive. I think it's just the worst of the worst.

Underdawg47 · Jan 24, 2015

Just a minor setback. I never believed that I would see gay marriage legalized or gays serving openly in the military during my lifetime, but look at what has happened so far.

Liosse de Velishaf · Jan 24, 2015

I'm not sure there's anything particularly bad about the Oklahoma law, assuming this guy understands that such a marriage would then have no basis in law as far as filing taxes or property, or wills, etc.

Hapax Legomenon · Jan 24, 2015

I don't understand the Oklahoma law at all... it actually sounds more like it's against atheists than gay people. There's got to be some Reform Jewish rabbis in Oklahoma willing to preside over same-sex marriages, at least.

Though... I wonder how many religious people would be okay with someone not their religion presiding, if it's the only way to get married? :/

Liosse de Velishaf · Jan 24, 2015

Hapax Legomenon said:
I don't understand the Oklahoma law at all... it actually sounds more like it's against atheists than gay people. There's got to be some Reform Jewish rabbis in Oklahoma willing to preside over same-sex marriages, at least.

Though... I wonder how many religious people would be okay with someone not their religion presiding, if it's the only way to get married? :/

I'll just marry a Catholic and convert them to humanism after the wedding. Problem solved.

blacbird · Jan 24, 2015

Nobody seems to have mentioned which of the two major political parties in this nation is behind EVERY ONE of these efforts.

caw

Diana Hignutt · Jan 25, 2015

blacbird said:
Nobody seems to have mentioned which of the two major political parties in this nation is behind EVERY ONE of these efforts.

caw

It's those damned Whigs, isn't it?

Alessandra Kelley · Jan 25, 2015

Thinking about Todd Russ' Oklahoma bill.

I think it is meant as a slap down to Oklahoma county clerks and judges who have said they are willing to obey and follow the law, which now allows gay marriages.

It also puts all power to regulate marriage in religious hands. I supect that won't hold up.

Furthermore, as a friend of ordained ministers, I cannot imagine that they possibly have enough time in the week to squeeze in certifying everyone who wants to marry on top of all their other duties. The paperwork would overwhelm them.

It's a stupid, vindictive, mean, petty, shortsighted and ill-thought-out bill.

Alessandra Kelley · Jan 25, 2015

The Oklahoma bill if passed would probably tie up the time and hands of the more liberal clergy in Oklahoma.

Only 59% of Oklahomans are reported to be"religious."

All the Oklahoma atheists who wish to marry, all the religiously unaffiliated or unconcerned, all the lesbians and gays, many of the interracial couples and interfaith couples -- everyone, in fact, of whom bigots and meanspirited religions disapprove -- would have to be funnelled through however many open-minded, charitable, and liberal clerics there may be in Oklahoma in order to marry.

I don't see how those poor clergy would have the time to issue the marriage permits, let alone take care of their other responsibilities.

Diana Hignutt · Jan 25, 2015

Alessandra Kelley said:
The Oklahoma bill if passed would probably tie up the time and hands of the more liberal clergy in Oklahoma.

Only 59% of Oklahomans are reported to be"religious."

All the Oklahoma atheists who wish to marry, all the religiously unaffiliated or unconcerned, all the lesbians and gays, many of the interracial couples and interfaith couples -- everyone, in fact, of whom bigots and meanspirited religions disapprove -- would have to be funnelled through however many open-minded, charitable, and liberal clerics there may be in Oklahoma in order to marry.

I don't see how those poor clergy would have the time to issue the marriage permits, let alone take care of their other responsibilities.

No doubt that's the point. But I fail to see how we can have state-issued rights only through the offices of religious institutions. No way that passes judicial muster.

Darron · Jan 25, 2015

backslashbaby said:
Florida is considered 'Deep South', though, surely? "South Carolina and – as of late Friday – Alabama are the only states in the Deep South where gay and lesbian couples can legally wed. But more could be on the way...." It doesn't get any deeper than Florida, lol.

While Florida is the southernmost, many of us consider Florida "below the South." As much as I hate to say this considering my location, anywhere south of Orlando may as well be a mix of Cuba and New York.

Edit: If you want to see redneck Florida, checkout the Panhandle aka the "Redneck Riviera."

Lyv · Jan 25, 2015

Alessandra Kelley said:
Thinking about Todd Russ' Oklahoma bill.

I think it is meant as a slap down to Oklahoma county clerks and judges who have said they are willing to obey and follow the law, which now allows gay marriages.

It also puts all power to regulate marriage in religious hands. I suspect that won't hold up.

It shouldn't. I think you're right about the motivation, which is consistent with some of the other laws in that chart. Some, like a proposed Texas bill, is just more direct in its language.

I'm an atheist and so is my husband. We had a lovely secular wedding ceremony. Not one mention of any god, anything religious. I wonder how hard it would be, if that OK law passes, to find a member of the clergy willing to perform a purely secular ceremony.

No atheist should have to. There would be ways around it, of course, but that shouldn't be necessary. And, of course, Todd Russ, the bill's sponsor voted against "Sharia law in government." Sometimes I want to scream.

It's a stupid, vindictive, mean, petty, shortsighted and ill-thought-out bill.

Well said.

Lyv · Jan 25, 2015

Darron said:
While Florida is the southernmost, many of us consider Florida "below the South."

When I lived in South Florida, it was, "You gotta go north to go south."

Darron · Jan 25, 2015

Lyv said:
When I lived in South Florida, it was, "You gotta go north to go south."

Yes! We say that up in Gainesville too even though there is a lot of South all around us. More towards the point of this thread, Florida showed its intolerance in several counties by denying to issue marriage licenses to anyone after same-sex marriage passed here.

Don · Jan 25, 2015

Darron said:
While Florida is the southernmost, many of us consider Florida "below the South." As much as I hate to say this considering my location, anywhere south of Orlando may as well be a mix of Cuba and New York.

That's true only on the coasts. There are few cubans or new yorkers where I live, although I do have some jamaican neighbors. Too many new yorkers would have been a deal-breaker for me. Thankfully, most of them flock to the coasts where they can all be jammed in together in massive overpriced concrete jungles. I think it reminds them of home.

Zoombie · Jan 25, 2015

blacbird said:
Nobody seems to have mentioned which of the two major political parties in this nation is behind EVERY ONE of these efforts.

caw

Well, both parties ARE the same, you know?

Lyv · Jan 25, 2015

blacbird said:
Nobody seems to have mentioned which of the two major political parties in this nation is behind EVERY ONE of these efforts.

caw

I probably should have put that in the OP, but I just copied the article title and a little text. But as the article says, it is only GOP legislators writing and pushing these bills.

Snowstorm · Jan 25, 2015

I'm grateful journalists ignore Wyoming most of the time, though, unfortunately, I'm ashamed that we have two "hate" bills (in my view) that have been introduced in our currently in-session legislature.

HB 0083 Religious Freedom Restoration Act would allow even government officials to refuse service (including handing out marriage certificates to gay couples) for anything that violates their religious principles.

HB 0026 Solemnization of Marriage bill is to ensure protection for clergy not be forced to marry someone they don't want to. It's necessary according to its proponents because, well, the First Amendment just isn't enough.

Thanks to the legislature's online hotline, every legislator knows my views about how egregious and stupid I find them. I'm very grateful my senator has a great head on his shoulders. My rep is new but I've asked him specifically his views on these types this bills. He said he didn't like 'social' types bills and his view is to let people live their lives.

Lyv said:
Some of us see another gay or transgender child or adult commit suicide and say, "No more." And some say, "Not enough."

This makes me want to throw up.

kuwisdelu · Jan 25, 2015

Alessandra Kelley said:
All the Oklahoma atheists who wish to marry, all the religiously unaffiliated or unconcerned, all the lesbians and gays, many of the interracial couples and interfaith couples -- everyone, in fact, of whom bigots and meanspirited religions disapprove -- would have to be funnelled through however many open-minded, charitable, and liberal clerics there may be in Oklahoma in order to marry.

There are also those religions that stay out of marriage and consider it a secular thing.

All Zuni marriages used to be common law marriages.

Alessandra Kelley · Jan 25, 2015

Darron said:
Yes! We say that up in Gainesville too even though there is a lot of South all around us. More towards the point of this thread, Florida showed its intolerance in several counties by denying to issue marriage licenses to anyone after same-sex marriage passed here.

Talk about cutting off everyone's nose to spite gay faces.

That tactic reminds me of the ones used against Blacks during the civil rights movement, like closing all the public schools in the county rather than letting any Blacks in, or filling in the municipal swimming pools with cement.

States kick off legislative session with anti-LGBT moves

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