Civil rights commission blasts ‘so-called religious liberty’ laws
April 22, 2016
A federal government agency has blasted “recent state laws passed, and proposals being considered, under the guise of so-called ‘religious liberty’ which target members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (‘LGBT’) community for discrimination.”
“Religious freedom is an important foundation of our nation,” said Martin Castro, chairman of the US Commission on Civil Rights. “However, in the past, ‘religious liberty’ has been used to block racial integration and anti-discrimination laws.”
Castro added:
The North Carolina and Mississippi laws, and similar legislation proposed in other states, perverts the meaning of religious liberty and perpetuates homophobia, transphobia, marginalizes the transgender and gay community and has no place in our society.
Two of the commission’s eight members, Gail Heriot and Peter Kirsanow, strongly criticized the commission’s statement.
“It is not entirely clear that the statement’s signatories have actually read the relevant legislation,” they said. “Whatever it is that our commission colleagues are standing up for, it is not toleration.”
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Further information:
- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Statement
- Statement Of Commissioners Gail Heriot And Peter Kirsanow
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Posted by: k_cusick1963 -
Apr. 23, 2016 7:48 AM ET USA
Secular Humanism sees the issue as a civil rights one because adherents are agnostics or atheists. Christians see it for what it is, morality based on God's law, natural law and good old fashioned common sense. If you open the Ladies Restroom to any who feel comfortable using it, you open it to rapists and pedophiles too. With no CCTV in public bathrooms, there will be tragic consequences to this ill-though-out reasoning. I for one, will no longer use public restrooms!
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Posted by: -
Apr. 22, 2016 10:41 PM ET USA
The U.S. Commission is being intolerant of the religious rights of most Americans. The life style they want us to "swallow" is immoral. I agree with Randall.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Apr. 22, 2016 8:40 AM ET USA
“Whatever it is that our commission colleagues are standing up for, it is not toleration.” No, it's not. It's the other "T" word: totalitarianism. The transformation of America continues with even greater fervor as preparations are being made for the transition to "Alinsky II." As the First and Second Amendments fall, the attack will proceed to the others.
