Tag Archives: RFRA

Greg Stohr writes for Bloomberg: Same-sex couples across the U.S. may soon have the legal right to marry. In 28 states, their employer will still have the legal right to fire them. Even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares for arguments this month on legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, gays in much of the country lack the anti-discrimination protections that apply …

In 2013 Jackson ran unsuccessfully as the GOP nominee for Virgina lieutenant governor. PREVIOUSLY ON JMG:  E.W. Jackson says Christianity is the world’s only real religion. E.W. Jackson says using his own words against him violates the Constitution. E.W. Jackson launches petition to legalize anti-gay discrimination nationwide. E.W. Jackson says Satan supports the separation of church and state. E.W. Jackson …

Via Reuters: A majority of Americans believe businesses should not be allowed to refuse services based on their religious beliefs in the wake of controversies in Indiana and Arkansas over gay rights and religious freedom, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Thursday. The poll, conducted April 6 to 8, also found that 52 percent of Americans support allowing same-sex couples to …

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has issued a statement denouncing the pending RFRA bill in Louisiana. Via the Times-Picayune: “The adoption of certain types of overreaching, problematic and divisive legislation in Louisiana has the possibility of threatening our state’s third largest industry and creating economic losses pushing past a billion dollars a year and costing us tens of …

Via the Associated Press:  North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper says he rejects a proposal allowing public officials to cite religion for declining to serve same-sex couples. Cooper is preparing a run for governor in 2016 and spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press. He says if he was governor he’d veto two Republican legislative proposals related to same-sex marriage. One …

Via the Daily Mail: In an exclusive first interview inside Memories Pizza restaurant since it closed down last week, owner Kevin O’Connor and daughter Crystal emerged from hiding and told Daily Mail Online they had been heartened by the support of 29,000 people who donated and many more who wrote to them. They revealed they are set to share their …

Indiana Family Institute head Curt Smith, seen above at the signing of the first version of his state’s RFRA bill, has left his day job with a law firm over the battle. Via the Indianapolis CW affiliate: Until last week Smith was the director of public policy at the Taft Law firm. One of its biggest clients is Cummins, the …

In a Fox News appearance about the president’s remarks yesterday about “less than loving Christians,” KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins blamed Obama for the murders of Christians by Islamist terrorists in foreign countries. “I think there’s a reason the president doesn’t want to talk about this persecution of Christians, because in part his policies are responsible. The growing hostility …

Mediaite reports: Towards the end of his speech at Tuesday morning’s Easter Prayer Breakfast, President Barack Obama appeared to veer off script to make some comments that implicitly referenced the fierce debate that has been raging over the last week about “religious freedom” laws in Indiana, Arkansas and elsewhere. “On Easter, I do reflect on the fact that as a …

The above message ran in Sunday’s New York Times.

“America was much better off when its businesses routinely posted signs that read, ‘We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,’ and meant it. After all, they ‘built it,’ and freedom – like the freedom of association – was universally understood to be a natural, God-given right. But now, in our more ‘enlightened’ age, freedom has been squashed in …

The GoFundMe donation drive for Memories Pizza closed at $846K and donation drive for Washington state florist Barronelle Stutzman stands at $95K. But the good guys have responded with donation drives for Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund, which at this writing stands at $38K, and for the Indiana Youth Group, which stands at nearly $23K.

Pop superstar Rihanna performed at the NCAA March Madness Music Fest in Indianapolis this weekend where she denounced the RFRA battle. Via Yahoo Music: Rihanna also used her headlining performance to slam Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Although the bill was amended to make it less discriminatory toward the LGBT community, Rihanna still unloaded on the RFRA in …

Via Mediaite: Louisiana is considering a so-called “religious freedom” act similar to Indiana’s. Critics allege the bills are Trojan Horses that allow for discrimination against gays and lesbians. Jindal would not comment on his state’s legislation specifically, but said that people too easily defaulted to government, especially in the case of protected statuses against discrimination. “I have faith and confidence …

“As we allow this religious intolerance to spread here at home, persecution will spread abroad. We have to stand and defend this faith because Christians abroad will suffer if we don’t.”

Via the Las Vegas Journal-Review: Nevada legislation criticized as giving businesses and corporations a license to discriminate against gay customers appears to have fizzled in light of nationwide outrage over similar “religious freedom” bills in Arkansas and Indiana. Silver State officials opposing the bill in Carson City gained a high-profile backer late Thursday. “The Governor believes that this bill is …

Starring James Van Der Beek and Anna Camp, whom you might know as the deliciously evil Sarah Newlin on True Blood.

A poll from Equality Louisiana reveals that while hardly anybody supports refusing service to LGBT folks, 36% believe that firing somebody for being gay or transgender is perfectly fine. Poll details.