Arizona legislature passes bill allowing anti-gay discrimination

[Altair]

These bills have been working their way through several state legislatures controlled by Republicans--it recently came up in Kansas but stalled there--but AZ is the first to pass it. It remains to be seen if ultra-right AZ governor Jan Brewer will sign it.

As conservatives continue to lose and lose and lose in the same-sex marriage debate, measures "protecting religious freedom" appears to be their new front in the culture war.

Arizona lawmakers pass controversial anti-gay bill

Arizona's Legislature has passed a controversial bill that would allow business owners, as long as they assert their religious beliefs, to deny service to gay and lesbian customers.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/21/us/arizona-anti-gay-bill/

[RandallS]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/21/us/arizona-anti-gay-bill/

Assuming the religion they expect to be asserted is Christianity, it sounds like another case of Jesus would be amazed (in a sad way) at how his teachings have been misused. Of course, once they all a religious exception for bigotry against one  group, they open the legal door wide to any form of bigotry -- like refusing to serve Republicans because of religious objections.

[Altair]

Of course, once they all a religious exception for bigotry against one  group, they open the legal door wide to any form of bigotry -- like refusing to serve Republicans because of religious objections.

And in that vein...

http://eater.com/archives/2014/02/21/az-pizzeria-bites-back-at-antigay-law-with-antilegislator-sign.php

[Melamphoros]

And in that vein...

http://eater.com/archives/2014/02/21/az-pizzeria-bites-back-at-antigay-law-with-antilegislator-sign.php

 
I would totally eat there if AZ wasn't on (for a long time, mind) my ever-growing list of places to never step foot in.

[Altair]

I would totally eat there if AZ wasn't on (for a long time, mind) my ever-growing list of places to never step foot in.

And on mine, too: Arizona, Florida (not until they repeal their "Stand Your Ground" law), and Texas (sorry, Randall!), to name only a few. Pretty much any state in the Bible Belt, basically. And that's just states of the U.S....

[beith]

As conservatives continue to lose and lose and lose in the same-sex marriage debate, measures "protecting religious freedom" appears to be their new front in the culture war.

 
I agree here.  This is a thinly veiled attack against homosexuals, not about protecting religious freedom.  If it was, then they wouldn't have limited the protection for refusing service to "gay or lesbian customers" only.

Also, I thought businesses had the right to refuse service to anyone already.  Is that not true?  When I was a cashier at the dollar store I was told I could refuse service to anyone.  But that was in the context of them behaving in an inappropriate or threatening manner, so I might just be remembering this wrong.

[Skyth]

measures "protecting religious freedom" appears to be their new front in the culture war.

I've never understood how not being able to force others to abide by the rules of your religion some how interferes with your religious freedom.  This and the contraceptive mandate have me shaking my head.

[missgraceless]

I've never understood how not being able to force others to abide by the rules of your religion some how interferes with your religious freedom.  This and the contraceptive mandate have me shaking my head.

Along with my boyfriend's tires being slashed last night for unknown reasons, I'm shaking my head at this as well. Although the pizzeria sign makes me happy.

I'm currently studying the Bible (still in the OT), and counting all the instances of polygamy, incest, and murder. How the religious nuts can justify hating gays when there's so much hypocrisy baffles me.

[RandallS]

And on mine, too: Arizona, Florida (not until they repeal their "Stand Your Ground" law), and Texas (sorry, Randall!), to name only a few. Pretty much any state in the Bible Belt, basically. And that's just states of the U.S....

A lot of states have various forms of "stand your ground" laws (including almost all states where an attack in one's home is concerned), Florida's law just seems much broader than the ones I'm more familiar with.

As for not visiting Texas, if Lyric and I had enough money to move to a blue state, we probably would.

[Sefiru]

These bills have been working their way through several state legislatures controlled by Republicans--it recently came up in Kansas but stalled there-

 
Slacktivist has a good post about this here where he compares this legislation to the old segregation laws of the 1960s.

[Juni]

A lot of states have various forms of "stand your ground" laws (including almost all states where an attack in one's home is concerned), Florida's law just seems much broader than the ones I'm more familiar with.

 
It's really a mess to figure out, because while 30ish states have castle doctrines, some of them include provisions for stand your ground law, some don't have any, some have made it a separate law, and some haven't actually codified it but have set legal precedence for it anyway. There's really very few places that still have a duty to retreat, as far as I can tell.

[SunflowerP]

Arizona lawmakers pass controversial anti-gay bill

 
Boo, hiss! :grr:

And in that vein...

http://eater.com/archives/2014/02/21/az-pizzeria-bites-back-at-antigay-law-with-antilegislator-sign.php

 
Yay!!! :thup:

(Sometimes, if I didn't have emoticons, I wouldn't be able to communicate at all.)

Sunflower

[sailor]

And on mine, too: Arizona, Florida (not until they repeal their "Stand Your Ground" law), and Texas (sorry, Randall!), to name only a few. Pretty much any state in the Bible Belt, basically. And that's just states of the U.S....

 
Is it stand your ground laws or just Florida's stand your ground law that you object to since the wording is pretty much the same in other states?

Or just southern states?

[Valentine]

Is it stand your ground laws or just Florida's stand your ground law that you object to since the wording is pretty much the same in other states?

Or just southern states?

 
Maybe just states that only allow stand-your-ground defenses when white men kill unarmed black teenagers.  It's a cruel prejudice, I know.

[yewberry]

Is it stand your ground laws or just Florida's stand your ground law that you object to since the wording is pretty much the same in other states?

Or just southern states?

Any law that makes idiots feel more puffed up and stupid about the horrible danger they're in seems like a bad idea.  And also racism.

Brina