On Religious Freedom Bills and Discrimination
Supporters of so called “religious freedom” bills, whether in Arkansas, Georgia, or Indiana, all claim that the bills aren’t about discrimination. That is nonsense. In January 2009, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty urged this type of legislation at the state level. From their Issue Brief
State level: State legislators should enact additional exemptions from anti-discrimination laws so that religious individuals and institutions are not forced to choose between following their consciences and following their government. In states where same-sex marriage or civil unions are permitted, legislators should take care to carve out religious exemptions when crafting those laws. In states where same-sex marriage is imposed by the judiciary, state legislators should act promptly to preempt burdens on religious exercise. Ideally these exemptions would be made part of the relevant state constitutions. Moreover, existing exemptions should be expanded to include religious individuals and “parachurch” organizations.
It seems, from the excerpt above, that before they had tightened up their messaging, they were describing these bills as “exemptions from anti-discrimination laws.” Maybe that explains Georgia State Senator Josh McKoon’s response to Representative Mike Jacobs’ anti-discrimination amendment at the meeting of the Judiciary Committee of the GA State House of Representatives on March 26, 2015.
Senator McKoon says anti-discrimination language would “negate the purpose of the bill.” If the purpose of the bill is to exempt people from anti-discrimination laws, then yes, I imagine it would.