As state legislatures reconvene for the year, they’re still finding ways to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Many Republicans are still trying to find a way around allowing homosexuals equality, even though the Supreme Court has said otherwise.
Utah and Foster Children
Just a few months back, a Utah judge took a foster child out of a qualified home with a lesbian couple and placed the youngster with a heterosexual couple. Fortunately for the child, the decision was reversed, but that hasn’t stopped one Republican representative from introducing a bill which would favor heterosexual couples and discriminate against same-sex ones when it came to adopting or fostering a child.
The Utah foster care system holds 2,700 children who need homes. They don’t care whether their home has one or two parents, or what gender these adults are. The children need stable homes where they can be loved. In addition, there are numerous studies which debunk the myth that kids are better off in a two-parent traditional family. The bill is unconstitutional, but the representative holds out hope that there might be a change in national policy, which would allow the law to be reactivated.
Oklahoma and Its Discriminate Policies
Over the years, Oklahoma has been one of the more conservative states when it comes to the rights of the LGBTQ community. Here are three bills that have been introduced (in some cases, reintroduced) this year:
- HB 1598 – Sponsored by the infamous anti-gay Representative Sally Kern, this bill protects ex-gay conversion therapy. It gives mental health counselors the right to “engage in sexual orientation change efforts” with any patient, even those under 18. Kern wants to give this type of therapy the blessing of the state.
- HB 3044 – This is another bill sponsored by Kern. It states that no public school “counselor, teacher, administrator, other adult” could refer any student under 18 years old to any entity if the referral pertained to sexuality. School counselors would be forbidden to provide contact information of gay-friendly organizations. It’s also been suggested that this bill may prohibit school counselors from sending girls who need sexual counseling to an organization. There is one workaround. The school can notify the parents and get permission, which then outs the child to the parent.
- SB 733 – A bill which would forbid people with HIV to get married. The bill is for “infectious and communicable” diseases, which targets gays because of their elevated risk of HIV. This bill contradicts many federal laws, and it doesn’t really stand a chance of being upheld, but it does demonstrate the wasted time some Republicans are spending trying to pass anti-gay legislation.
- SB 1322 – While not an outright anti-gay bill, SB 1322 practically endorses creationism being taught in the public school. Kern also introduced HB 3045, which has been called the Scientific Education and Academic Freedom Act, giving teachers more freedom in teaching “controversial” science principles, like evolution, global warming, and cloning.
Hopefully, none of these bills will make it out of committee, but it does show that some Oklahomans are still trying to maintain the appearance that Oklahoma is a “Christian” state. If you recall last year’s brouhaha over the Ten Commandments monument on state property, you know how serious the leaders in Oklahoma are about this. Keep in mind that Oklahoma’s real heritage includes Native Americans with their own religious ceremonies.
Join Your State in Standing Up for Everyone’s Rights
These bills are just a few that have cropped up this year. No matter where you live, it’s important to keep watch over the legislation that is introduced. Stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ community, only to ensure that your own rights aren’t eventually trampled on.