Ominous Days Ahead for LGBT Americans

For the 20+ years that I have followed hated groups masquerading as Christian "family values" organization - many of which are shockingly tax-exempt "educational" charities - there has been one constant: they have sought to criminalize being gay and they have wanted the right to ignore non-discrimination laws.  While they have not yet succeeded in their effort to make being homosexual a criminal offense, yesterday was a testament to their success on securing their long sought special rights to ignore non-discrimination and public accommodation laws at will.  The only possible road block is the U.S. Supreme Court where this special right is to be decided.  The Trump/Pence Justice Department has sided on the right of Christofascists to discriminate at will.  Yesterday, Jeff Sessions underscored his departments effort to make discrimination based upon claimed religious belief the law of the land.  Meanwhile, Der  Trumpenführer appeared at the Family Research Council (FRC is a certified hate group) sponsored "Values Voter Summit" and promised the gathering of religious extremists that they would no longer be silenced. Pitted against this effort is a who's who of corporate America that wants LGBT non-discrimination protections nationwide. Among the companies opposing the Trump/Pence agenda are Google, Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, and Viacom Inc.  A piece in Metro Weekly looks at the bigotry that Sessions will support before the Supreme Court.  Make no mistake.  If the Christofascist are successful, gays will not be the only citizens eventually targeted.  Here are article excerpts:

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions believes people have a “fundamental right” to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Faith Nation, Sessions explained why the Department of Justice is backing Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, who is asking the Supreme Court to allow him to refuse to bake cakes for same-sex couples.

“[T]he cake baker has more than just a personal view here,” Sessions said. “He has a religious view and he feels that he is not being able to freely exercise his religion by being required to participate in a ceremony in some fashion that he does not believe in.“So we think that right is a fundamental right and ought to be respected as we work through this process.”

Phillips is asking for an exemption to Colorado’s nondiscrimination law, arguing that his right to free speech and freedom of expression is being violated if he is forced to design and bake cakes for gay and lesbian weddings. By forcing Phillips to bake cakes for same-sex weddings, Sessions contends, Colorado is restricting his right to espouse his beliefs and practice his religion as he sees fit.

“[I]n the 1990s, we passed a Religious Freedom Restoration Act that said the government should not constrict a person’s religious belief without a compelling reason to do so,” the attorney general said. “So we think that statute has been ignored too often and not respected sufficiently.”

Gays today, non-Christians and blacks tomorrow.  One must not forget that the Virginia Supreme Court cited the Bible in upholding the ban on interracial marriage that was ultimately struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia.  If the Christofascists and Trump/Pence prevail, a Pandora's box will have been opened.  Be very afraid, especially with Neil Gorsuch now on the Supreme Court.  If John Adams wins the Virginia attorney general race, this same batshitery will come to Virginia with a vengeance.  Vote for Mark Herring, Ralph Northam and Justin Fairfax on November 7, 2017.