Friday, May 24, 2013

Puerto Rico Legislature Passes Sweeping LGBT Nondiscrimination Bill


Virginia, which at the time of the founding of the United States was the home of some of the most enlightened thinkers in the country, now finds itself falling further and further behind the modern world and now upstaged by Puerto Rico in terms of protecting the rights of all its citizens.  Of course, if the GOP triumvirate of insanity gets elected in November, things will be even more reactionary and opposed to religious freedom.   Once again, who would have believed 20 or 30 years ago that Latin America and now Puerto Rico would have more respect for freedom that one of the cradles of the American Revolution.    Huffington Post looks at events in Puerto Rico.  Here are highlights:

International lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates are praising Puerto Rico's decision to advance "sweeping" nondiscrimination measures.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's blog reports that the Puerto Rican House of Representatives approved the bills May 24, which protect LGBT people in employment, housing, governmental services and public accommodations, as well as add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the island’s domestic violence laws, respectively. 

Anti-discrimination bill SB 238 and HB 488, the domestic violence measure, now move to Gov. Alejandro GarcĂ­a Padilla, who has vowed to sign them into law, according to the Washington Blade.

Among those to support the bill beforehand was Ricky Martin.   "The same rights for each and every citizen of Puerto Rico, that's what we are asking and that's what we hope to achieve, the country's justice and peace that we want to achieve," the singer said in a statement cited by E! Online. "Puerto Rico has to join all the countries in the world that are at the forefront of the issue of human rights and equality."
In Virginia in contrast, LGBT citizens have ZERO - that's right, ZERO - nondiscrimination protections.  It's a travesty, not to mention an embarrassment.  Yet, The Family Foundation and it's knuckle dragging, moronic followers pat themselves on the back for their piety and religiosity.  These people are horrible!!

No comments: