The Christofascists Foam at the Mouth at the Mention of ENDA

Along with denying any legal recognition of same sex relationships, keeping LGBT citizens subject to capricious firing from their jobs one of the pillars of the Christofascist agenda to punish and stigmatize us for refusing to live our lives according to their sick hate and fear based religious beliefs.  It's something I know about full well having been forced from a law firm so that my presence would not "offend the sensibilities" of conservative clients.  The irony, of course, is that the one of the areas where my own firm has seen the most growth in terms of client base is with Hindu and Muslim clients.  

But back to the Christofascsts.  If you want to see the spittle fly and see conniption fits, just bring up the prospect of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act ("ENDA") being passed by Congress.  Even Christofascists darlings like Paul Ryan - who recently said he supported ENDA while speaking out of both sides of his mouth - are not immune from the wrath of the lunatic religious extremists of the GOP base.  Bryan Fischer, a leading mouth piece of the certified hate group, American Family Association, is illustrative of the Christofascists undisguised animus toward LGBT individuals and their desire to retain the right to fire gays at will.  Not only does Fischer lie about the scope of ENDA - which would only apply to businesses with more than 15 employees in its last incarnation - but he seeks to whip the gay haters into a frenzy by depicting ludicrous scenarios that would happen were ENDA to be passed.  The New Civil Rights Movement looks at Fischer's lies and undisguised hate speech.  Here are highlights:

Bryan Fischer yesterday on his radio program threatened that “flaming homosexuals… wearing stilettos, a dress and dangly earrings” would apply for jobs in Christian bookstores if ENDA passes into law. Fischer, the public face of the certified anti-gay hate group, American Family Association, claimed “the homosexual lobby” would purposely target religious businesses, including “Christian bookstores,” if the Employment Non-Discrimination Act were passed by Congress and signed into law.

Claiming “ENDA would represent the return of Jim Crow laws” in a blog post accompanying his radio rant, Fischer ludicrously rips former GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan:

Ryan today reiterated his support for ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  This is a horrible bill for a social conservative to support since it would mean the absolute end of religious liberty and freedom of association in the marketplace. It would, in other words, gut the First Amendment. It’s shameful for Ryan, who also voted for this Constitution-shredding bill in 2007, to be so blissfully and blindly unaware of the consequences of this legislation.

Christians “becoming the newest minority utterly deprived of their civil rights,” is offensive on its face. It is not anyone’s civil right to have the right to deprive others of their civil rights. Fischer is angry he’s losing the “right” to be a hateful anti-gay bigot with control over others.

ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, has been introduced into every Congress but one since 1994.  “In 29 states, it remains legal to fire someone because they’re lesbian, gay, or bisexual; in 34 states it’s legal to fire someone solely for being transgender.

Here in Virginia in the coming session of the General Assembly yet another bill will be introduced to protect STATE employees from being fired for being gay or transgender (those in the private sector would still have ZERO protections) and it is guaranteed that The Family Foundation will trot out similar lies and distortions to defeat the bill and maintain special privileges for Christofascists.  And sadly, I anticipate that many black pastors will fall for the lies and hate and once again behave like trained circus dogs for their racists masters at The Family Foundation.