One party, just one, not both, not together, just one, is the party that seeks to judge others, limit access to goods/services and promote hate in America.
The reasons behind this bill are no different than the Jim Crow laws of the 60s and other acts of bigotry. If you vote Republican, this is you and your party across the nation.
–Scott Ackeridge
Scott Ackeridge wasn’t referring to the Nazi Party. But he could have been.
On September 15, 1935, the Nazis–who had taken power in Germany in 1933–introduced a series of anti-Semetic laws at their annual Nuremberg rally.
Adolf Hitler addressing a Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party
Under the Nuremberg laws:
- Marriages between Jews and German citizens were forbidden.
- Extramarital relations between Jews and German citizens were forbidden.
- Jews were forbidden to employ female German citizens under the age of 45 as domestic workers.
- Jews were banned from employment as attorneys, doctors or journalists.
- Jews were forbidden to use state hospitals.
- Jews could not be educated by the state past the age of 14.
- Jews were forbidden to enter public libraries, parks and beaches.
- The names of Jewish soldiers were to be expunged from war memorials.
With anti-Semitism now codified in German law, the foundations for the coming Holocaust were firmly laid.
Now, fast-forward to February 20, 2014.
The Republican-dominated Arizona legislature sends a bill to Republican Governor Jan Brewer that:
- Allows business owners to turn away gay and lesbian customers.
- Allows employers to deny equal pay to women.
- Allows individuals to renege on contract obligations.
All of these will be legally allowed–so long as “sincere religious belief” is claimed as the reason.
House Bill 2153/Senate Bill 1062 was written by the right-wing advocacy group Center for Arizona Policy and the Christian legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom.
Specifically, the legislation proposes to:
- Expand the state’s definition of the exercise of religion to include both the practice and observance of religion.
- Allow someone to assert a legal claim of free exercise of religion regardless of whether the government is a party to the proceedings.
- Expand those protected under the state’s free-exercise-of-religion law to “any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, religious assembly or institution or other business organization.”
- Allows any business, church or person to cite the law as a defense in any action brought by the government or individual claiming discrimination.
- Allows the business or person to seek an injunction once they show their actions are based on a sincere religious belief and the claim places a burden on the exercise of religion.
Advocates often cited the case of a New Mexico wedding photographer who was sued after refusing to take photos of a same-sex couople’s commitment ceremony due to the photographer’s religious beliefs.
“We are trying to protect people’s religious liberties,” said Representative Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park.
“We don’t want the government coming in and forcing someone to act against their religious sacred faith beliefs or having to sell out if you are a small-business owner.”
Arizona Representative Steve Montenegro
But opponents say the law would:
- Protect a corporation that refuses to hire anyone who isn’t a Christian; and
- Block gays and lesbians from access to nearly any business or service–including fire and police.
“The message that’s interpreted is: We want you to work here, but we are not going to go out of our way to protect you, to protect your rights, to protect your family,” said Representative Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix.
Similar anti-gay legislation has been introduced by Republicans in other states:
- In Kansas, lawmakers voted to exempt individuals from providing any service that was “contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
- That bill passed the state’s House chamber on February 11, triggering national backlash. It has since stalled in the Senate and is not expected to advance this year.
- In January, South Dakota Republicans introduced a bill to allow businesses refuse to serve same-sex couples on the grounds that “businesses are private and that their views on sexual orientation are protected to the same extent as the views of private citizens.”
- The bill–which was killed in February–would have made it illegal for a gay person to file a lawsuit charging discrimination.
- A ballot initiative in Oregon would let business owners refuse to serve same-sex couples “if doing so would violate a person’s deeply held religious beliefs.”
- The initiative could be voted on this year.
Ironically, many Right-wingers who support the right of Christians to discriminate fear that they will become victims of religious persecution if Islamic Sharia law comes to the United States.
