Right-Wing Christians Giddy After Arkansas Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Protecting LGBT People February 24, 2017

Right-Wing Christians Giddy After Arkansas Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Protecting LGBT People

In 2014, the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas did something sensible: They passed an ordinance to protect the LGBT community from discrimination in areas like employment and housing.

LGBTRightsFayetteville

But this was 2014. The Duggars were still relevant back then because their own sexual abuse scandals hadn’t become public news, and matriarch Michelle Duggar did her part in urging people via a robocall to oppose this legislation.

Hello, this is Michelle Duggar. I’m calling to inform you of some shocking news that would affect the safety of Northwest Arkansas women and children. The Fayetteville City Council is voting on an ordinance this Tuesday night that would allow men — yes, I said men — to use women’s and girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, showers, sleeping areas and other areas that are designated for females only.

I don’t believe the citizens of Fayetteville would want males with past child predator convictions that claim they are female to have a legal right to enter private areas that are reserved for women and girls. I doubt that Fayetteville parents would stand for a law that would endanger their daughters or allow them to be traumatized by a man joining them in their private space. We should never place the preference of an adult over the safety and innocence of a child. Parents, who do you want undressing next to your daughter at the public swimming pool’s private changing area?

I still believe that we are a society that puts women and children first. Women, young ladies, and little girls deserve to use the restroom and any other women’s facility in peace and safety. Will you speak up for protecting women and children? Call 575-8330 and tell the Fayetteville City Council members and Mayor Jordan to vote “No” on ordinance 119. The number again is 575-8330. For more information, please go to www.freefayetteville.org. Paid for by freefayetteville.org.

As it turned out, if people wanted protection from child predators, they needed to stay away from Michelle Duggar’s family, not trans people.

It didn’t work in any case. The ordinance passed 6-2.

Unfortunately, the island of sanity that is Fayetteville received bad news from the Arkansas Supreme Court yesterday, where the judges ruled that the ordinance was illegal because the state’s Constitution doesn’t include protections for LGBT people.

according to the Supreme Court, nowhere in Arkansas state law are LGBT people protected.

The ruling says Ordinance 5781 is a municipal decision to expand the coverage of the Arkansas Civil Rights Act to include LGBT people. Adding in a new classification of people covered under the Arkansas Civil Rights Act is a violation of state law, as LGBT people are a classification not previously included under state law.

Conservative Christians, as you might expect, are thrilled by the idea that they can now discriminate against LGBT people across the state without punishment.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released the following statement on the court’s ruling: “This is a good ruling. Laws about discrimination are best left to the state and federal governments. The City of Fayetteville overstepped when it passed this ordinance. I’m glad the Arkansas Supreme Court understood that and struck the ordinance down.”

Cox criticized the Fayetteville ordinance, saying, “The ordinance granted special protections for people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but it failed to protect religious Arkansans. Under this ordinance, a minister could have been penalized for declining to solemnize a same-sex marriage, and people of faith who own catering services, florist shops, wedding venues, and so on could have been penalized for declining to participate in or cater to same-sex ceremonies. One of the founding principles of our nation is the free exercise of religion. Fayetteville’s ordinance penalized people for living and operating according to their faith. The Arkansas Supreme Court did the right thing in striking this ordinance.”

Conservatives: They’re all for local governance… unless they disagree with it, in which case, it’s all about state and federal laws.

Cox is lying, too. Ministers always had protection against solemnizing same-sex marriages if they didn’t want to. But Christians who own public business shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against gay customers any more than they can discriminate against people of color.

The ability to belittle and dehumanize fellow human beings is what these Christians wanted all along. And now they got it. I have no clue how it impacts them, but they can sleep soundly next to Jesus knowing that the lives of LGBT people in their state will be markedly worse.

Congratulations, Josh Duggar. After molesting your own sisters, your side has convinced judges that LGBT people are the real problem.

(Screenshot via YouTube. Thanks to Richard for the link)

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