I thought my shame as a native Arizonian had seen its peak in 2010 when the state passed a bill giving cops the legal right to racial profiling. I was wrong.
In February, Republicans in Arizona proposed a bill that would grant businesses the right to use “sincerely held religious beliefs” as a reason to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender customers. We’re not talking just coffee shops and bookstores here. Even doctors would have been able to refuse treatment to gay patients on a religious basis with the laws proposed in SB 1062.
I could skewer Arizona for this–I could skewer Gov. Jan Brewer, specifically, for taking two whole days to think about vetoing the bill when it should have been a no-brainer. I won’t do that though, partially because it’s all been said, but mostly because this issue is bigger than Arizona proposing yet another discriminatory law.
This proposed bill comes after a string of high-profile lawsuits that have taken place throughout the past year, involving gay couples across the country suing wedding vendors for discrimination after being denied service because of their sexual orientation.
Moreover, this proposed bill has been followed by similar legislation that was introduced and passed in Missouri, Georgia and Kansas. According to the Associated Press, an additional six states are now considering legislation similar to SB 1062.
On the global scale, Uganda passed an anti-homosexuality law the very same week SB 1062 dominated American news, earning it the nickname “the Arizona of Africa.”
[quote]The U.S. likes to fashion itself as a beacon of equality and non-discrimination in a world often suffering too much of the opposite. [/quote]If I’m not mistaken, there is even a key phrase or two in our beloved Constitution that hinge on equality. Like it or not, as Americans we serve as a global example when it comes to protecting equality and human rights. It’s crucial to make sure the example we’re setting is the right one.
That being said, as a nation we need to take a look in the mirror. Despite the fact that our president has openly supported gay rights since he’s taken office, there is no federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Only 17 states in the U.S. have enacted laws prohibiting this discrimination, while an additional four states protect sexual orientation, but not gender identity. This means that in 29 states, American citizens can be fired or denied hire in the first place just because of their sexual orientation. [quote]I shouldn’t have to tell you this is completely ridiculous, but I’m going to anyway: this is completely ridiculous.[/quote]
When crazy bills such as Arizona’s SB 1062 pop up, it’s easy to write them off as desperate, last-ditch efforts to stop the growing trend of accepting gay love. We’re winning. They’re scared. I get it.
What’s harder to understand is how our government can condemn issues abroad while failing to address them at home.
During the recent Olympic games, Russia received a huge amount of Western criticism for its anti-gay rights policies. Much of this Western outcry, of course, came from Americans. President Obama, on top of publicly criticizing the discriminatory policies, made a bold statement by selecting two openly gay athletes to the U.S. Olympic delegation.
That’s great, but how much weight does America’s criticism hold when we allow the exact same kind of discrimination to continue in our own country?
In California, we are fortunate to be legally protected from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but like I said, this is not the case everywhere. Gay people in other parts of the country often live in a very different reality than what is witnessed in California.
[quote]The gay rights movement is one of the fastest moving social changes in history. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 59 percent of Americans support marriage equality. Yes, that means haters are officially in the minority.[/quote]
Things are changing and I guarantee our generation will see the end of LGBT discrimination. The cool thing is that we all get to be a part of this huge progressive movement that will go down in history, comparable to the Civil Rights movements of the ‘60s.
In the coming years, there will be plenty of chances for us all to voice our support for equality, whether with our votes or otherwise. So when those opportunities come, choose to be an evolved human: choose to be an ally to the gay-rights cause.
And if you want to stay hating, just remember this: you are part of a rapidly shrinking minority. Before you know it, we’ll be passing laws reserving the right to refuse service to judgmental bigots like you. I’m just saying.
Photo courtesy of MCT.
