Mormon LGBT rights announcement pretense to further the carving out of broader religious exemptions

[Panich52]

Leaders of the Mormon Church have announced their support for gay inclusive nondiscrimination legislation, but there’s a catch: they want a  religious right to continue to discriminate built in to any such legislation.

(snip) Well, the Church also has a message for LGBT rights supporters and organizations: essentially, it wants them to back off because it feels religious rights are being eroded:

When religious people are publicly intimidated, retaliated against, forced from employment or made to suffer personal loss because they have raised their voice in the public square, donated to a cause or participated in an election, our democracy is the loser,” said Elder Dallin Oaks. “Such tactics are every bit as wrong as denying access to employment, housing or public services because of race or gender.”

snip

Simply, though, this wasn’t a stand for LGBT rights. It was a stand for the religious right to discriminate with the gay rights window dressing as a means to appear fair and balanced, and organizations like the Human Rights Campaign have summarily rejected this support for what it is: a pretense to further the carving out of broader religious exemptions.

Says HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow on the HRC blog: “Symbolically, seeing the church leaders advocating so openly for these protections will no doubt be deeply meaningful to Mormon families with LGBT members, and provide encouragement to LGBT youth in the church. But, as a matter of public policy, it appears deeply flawed. Doctors would still be allowed to deny medical care. Pharmacists would still be allowed to refuse to fill valid prescriptions. And landlords, as well as business operators, would still be allowed to reject LGBT people. All in the name of religion.”

snip

The Church of Latter Day Saints has proved to be a powerful political force, and if anything this announcement signifies not support for gay rights but a declaration that the Church is prepared to involve itself in broadening religious exemptions, possibly even to the point of shattering civil rights protections.

Full article:

http://www.care2.com/causes/the-mormon-churchs-gay-rights-announcement-was-all-about-religious-rights.html


Wants their cake and eat it too... What a hypocritical ploy.