(GayWebSource.com – Gay News & Press Network) – Posted by Michael Lamb – Echelon Magazine

A broad and growing chorus of voices including human rights groups, over 30 law scholars, NBA star Jason Collins, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, SalesForce, and Gen Con – Indianapolis’s largest attended conference, is urging Indiana Governor Mike Pence to veto the anti-lgbt religious exemption bill, SB 101. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) also announced that its leaders are reconsidering having their convention in Indianapolis if SB101 becomes law. Today, the Republican Mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard said the bill sends a “wrong signal.”

While supporters have framed the bill as necessary to ensure religious freedom, it is well established that religious freedom is fully protected by the US Constitution. It would open a pandora’s box of unintended consequences, allowing anyone and any business to claim religious reasons to exempt themselves from adhering to non-discrimination laws. Claiming religious reasons, this law could allow for a counselor to deny care for a student who is Muslim, a pharmacist to deny medicine to a patient, an abuser to claim certain domestic violence laws don’t apply to him, or a police officer to deny protection to a synagogue.

“Religious freedom is an existing constitutional protection we all cherish.” said Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of Equality Federation, “SB 101 is unnecessary puts businesses and livelihoods at risk. Governor Pence should veto this bill so that all Hoosiers and those who visit the great state of Indiana can be treated fairly and equally under the law.”

Similarly discriminatory religious exemption bills are currently under consideration in Georgia and North Carolina, where a bill was introduced today. Alongside business leaders, Georgia’s bill has garnered opposition from renowned conservative Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B’nai Torah and Mike Bowers, Georgia’s former Republican Attorney General who was once a gay-rights foe.

This legislation will increase litigation. In states that have already passed similar bills, individuals have claimed that laws protecting against child abuse, medical access, discrimination against LGBT people, domestic violence and public safety didn’t apply to them because they were in violation of their religious beliefs. For instance, in Utah, two members of a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon faith testified in a Salt Lake City courtroom that their church doctrine barred them from speaking about suspected child labor violations on their pecan farm. In Michigan, a pediatrician refused to treat a lesbian couple’s six-month old baby.

While some conservatives have been launching similar bills in other states, there is not unanimity among conservatives or Republicans. In fact, public support of discrimination protections for gay and transgender people, including support from conservatives, continues to grow. In a recent poll, 69% of likely voters across party lines said they would support a federal nondiscrimination law. Eighteen anti-gay bills died in Oklahoma this year. And, in West Virginia, where three anti-gay bills died in committee, Republican Senate Majority Leader said there was “no way” his chamber would consider bills that would nullify local nondiscrimination ordinances.

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