GOP Legal Discrimination Against Gays: Backlash Continues on Wide Front

Nails It

The latest RED state movement: Is the so-called “Religious Freedom” bills being drafted and passed in places like NC and MS are nothing more than a façade used to create carve-outs within existing marriage equality or nondiscrimination laws, that in turn allow individuals, businesses, and even some government employees to refuse service to someone by claiming “it violates my sincerely-held religious beliefs.”

So, legally violate someone else's rights to protect your rights even though that other person may not worship the way you do, or the place you do, or not believe the same way you do, or attend the same place of worship as you do and then call it your right, but not theirs?

How pathetically ironic is that?

BACKLASH GROWING IN NC AND IN OTHER PLACES:

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — The CEO of PepsiCo, Inc., has joined the growing list of company heads and municipal officials voicing opposing to North Carolina's new law that prevents specific anti-discrimination rules for LGBT people for public accommodations and restroom use. Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi sent a letter to McCrory calling on him to consider repealing the measure when the General Assembly convenes in Raleigh later this month. Pepsi-Cola traces its roots to North Carolina, where it was created in the late 1890s by New Bern pharmacist Caleb Bradham. PepsiCo's annual shareholder meetings have been held in New Bern in the past several years.

1.     PepsiCo, Inc., has joined the growing list of company heads and municipal officials voicing opposing to North Carolina's new law that prevents specific anti-discrimination rules for LGBT people for public accommodations and restroom use.

2.     The names of another 10 company executives that have signed on to a letter criticizing the law and seeking its repeal, bringing the number of names to more than 120.

3.     New executives include those from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Qualcomm and EMC Corp.

4.     Separately Friday, the venture capital arm of Google's parent corporation confirmed it won't invest in North Carolina startup businesses while the law is in place.

5.     District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Boston's city council also this week banned government-connected travel to North Carolina as a sign of opposition to the law. Similar travel bans have been issued by the governors of Washington, New York and Connecticut and by other cities.

6.     Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton sent a letter on Saturday banning state employees from nonessential travel to North Carolina because of the law. He directed all state workers to stop all nonessential travel to North Carolina for conferences or other official state business until further notice.

7.     NCAA President Mark Emmert says he has spoken to North Carolina's governor about the state's new law excluding LGBT people from anti-discrimination protections, making clear if it remains in place it will affect the state's chances to host major college athletic events.

NC GOP Gov. Pat McCrory signed it into law on March 23. It revokes local gay and trans-nondiscrimination ordinances throughout the state, effectively legalizes anti-LGBT discrimination in North Carolina. The law forbids transgender people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. It includes transgender public school students, many of whom will now, in effect, be barred from using the bathroom at school.

ONE BIG KUDO FOR GA (March 28, 2016): GOP Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed a similar bill titled: “The Free Exercise Protection Act,” would have given faith-based organizations in Georgia greater leeway to deny services to LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people) based on their religious freedom protection.

Bill supporters said “… the law was meant to protect religious freedom.” Critics described it as “deplorable and divisive and blatant discrimination.” Gov. Deal agreed in his remarks saying that he does not support discrimination against anyone just to protect someone else religious freedoms – feeling that law went too far and was unnecessary.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States have evolved over time and vary on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. Since June 26, 2003, sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex as well as same-sex adolescents of a close age has been legal nationwide, pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. As of June 26, 2015, all states license and recognize marriage between same-sex couples on account of the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The GOP went nuts ever since – they can’t help themselves – their racism blinds them to people not like themselves.

Pop Quiz: Where is the best place for a pedophile, pervert, unfaithful spouse, or sex addict to hide in America? In the GOP “family values” caucus.