Majority of people in Mississippi will soon heave a sigh of relief and be spared from the toxic innuendos coming from the liberal criers after Gov. Phil Bryant signed last 5 April a far-reaching law protecting people with religious objections. The measure also seeks to make it easier to expand choices on whether to serve or not people with metal illness who thinks they are of different gender.
The so-called Religious Liberty Accommodations Act is meant to protect people, businesses, and organizations with "sincerely held" religious beliefs about the sanctity of traditional marriage. The bill also says gender is determined by "an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth."
According to motherjones.com, the Mississippi measure comes on the heels of similar anti-LGBT bills passed in North Carolina and Georgia in March. The North Carolina law was widely regarded as the broadest anti-LGBT law in the country for requiring transgender people from to use the restroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate and striking down existing LGBT nondiscrimination statutes. Georgia's bill was vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal.
But the Mississippi bill is so sweeping that it may be more appropriate than even the North Carolina statute. The Mississippi bill would essentially make it impossible to sue for gender or sexuality discrimination if the motivation for the discrimination was religion.
Here are some of the bill's provisions:
"We should not be intimidated, not buy into the April fool's propaganda being disseminated by national media," said Rep. Andy Gipson, an author of the bill. "This is an anti-discrimination bill."
The bill overwhelmingly and convincingly passed the House by an 85-24 vote.
Earlier, Bryant said he doesn't think the measure is discriminatory. "I think it gives some people as I appreciate it, the right to be able to say, 'That's against my religious beliefs, and I don't need to carry out that particular task.'"
The so-called Religious Liberty Accommodations Act is meant to protect people, businesses, and organizations with "sincerely held" religious beliefs about the sanctity of traditional marriage. The bill also says gender is determined by "an individual's immutable biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth."
According to motherjones.com, the Mississippi measure comes on the heels of similar anti-LGBT bills passed in North Carolina and Georgia in March. The North Carolina law was widely regarded as the broadest anti-LGBT law in the country for requiring transgender people from to use the restroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate and striking down existing LGBT nondiscrimination statutes. Georgia's bill was vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal.
But the Mississippi bill is so sweeping that it may be more appropriate than even the North Carolina statute. The Mississippi bill would essentially make it impossible to sue for gender or sexuality discrimination if the motivation for the discrimination was religion.
Here are some of the bill's provisions:
- Any organization can decline "to provide services, accommodations, facilities, goods or privileges for a purpose related to the solemnization, formation, celebration or recognition of any marriage."
- Employers can make a "decision whether or not to hire, terminate or discipline an individual whose conduct or religious beliefs are inconsistent with those of the religious organization."
- Mississippians can deny housing based on religious beliefs.
- Foster care organizations and adoption agencies can "decline to provide any adoption or foster care service" without fear of retribution.
The state can't prosecute any person who "declines to participate in the provision of treatments, counseling, or surgeries related to sex reassignment or gender identity transitioning or declines to participate in the provision of psychological, counseling or fertility services" or any wedding- or marriage-related services. - Schools and business owners can establish "sex-specific standards or policies concerning employee or student dress or grooming, or concerning access to restrooms, spas, baths, showers, dressing rooms, locker rooms, or other intimate facilities or settings."
"We should not be intimidated, not buy into the April fool's propaganda being disseminated by national media," said Rep. Andy Gipson, an author of the bill. "This is an anti-discrimination bill."
The bill overwhelmingly and convincingly passed the House by an 85-24 vote.
Earlier, Bryant said he doesn't think the measure is discriminatory. "I think it gives some people as I appreciate it, the right to be able to say, 'That's against my religious beliefs, and I don't need to carry out that particular task.'"