Michigan Law-EMT Refuse Treatment To Gay People

Michigan House Passed Bill Allowing EMTs To Refuse Treatment To Gay People
December 8, 2014



Over the weekend, Republicans in the Michigan Statehouse passed a “license to discriminate” bill that would give just about anyone the right to refuse service to LGBT people if it conflicted with their religious beliefs.

The broadly written Religious Freedom Restoration Act would allow, for example, an EMT to refuse emergency treatment to a gay person or a pharmacist to refuse to refill HIV medication, because God decreed gays and lesbians should be put to death.

The measure is similar to one in Arizona that even right-wing governor Jan Brewer thought went too far and vetoed.

As The New Civil Rights Movement points out, the act is so broad it would let a Catholic high school refuse to hire a Muslim janitor, and a DMV clerk deny a new driver’s license to someone who is divorced.



Michigan Speaker Bolger fasttracked the bill, which passed 59-50 along party lines. “I support individual liberty and I support religious freedom,” Bolger said. “I have been horrified as some have claimed that a person’s faith should only be practiced while hiding in their home or in their church.”

If it passes in the Michigan Senate and is signed by Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act will become law.

“The idea that we need to ‘restore’ religious freedom — rights that are already enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — is a farce created by conservative lawmakers for the sole purpose of appeasing their far-right donors and the religious right,” said Lonnie Scott of Progress Michigan.

In a supreme bit of irony, the Michigan House over the weekend to pass a non-discrimination bill that protects the LGBT community.

“No one from the LGBT community has ever had fire hoses turned on them by the police department, they have never had to drink out of an LGBT water fountain,” pastor Stacy Swimp told the House committee that considered the measure. “There is no record of LGBT — homosexuals, lesbians—being forced to sit at the back of the bus in an LGBT section.”

Source

I always knew Michigan sucked. This just confirms it.

“The idea that we need to ‘restore’ religious freedom — rights that are already enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — is a farce created by conservative lawmakers for the sole purpose of appeasing their far-right donors and the religious right,” said Lonnie Scott of Progress Michigan.

and Australia

Pretty sure LGBT in Oz are having a hell of a time themselves these days.

I don't hate any part of the country but this type of waste of time ***is why America is fast going off the rails. How about we focus on real *** issues than blatantly trying to discriminate against others.

JFC these idiotic legislators should be thrown off a bridge.

Not at all. I have friends in Sydney who are a gay couple. One is from TX, the other is Australian. The Texan friend says, BY FAR, Australia is much better than "America".

He's much happier there than he is here. And if you're wondering, he moved to Australia after trying and failing to get his Australian partner a work visa here in the US. The Australian was more than willing to become a US Citizen, but instead, was shown the door back to Australia via bureaucratic red tape.

Hmm. I've heard they've got some upper-echelon politicians that want nothing to do with homosexuals.

Incidentally, to the bolded, I'm surprised that your friend was able to get citizenship/work in Australia. Because in comparision to much of the English-speaking (and otherwise) world, America is easy to get into and get vetted for work and/or citizenship.

JFC these idiotic legislators should be thrown off a bridge.

Michigan Speaker Bolger fasttracked the bill, which passed 59-50 along party lines. “I support individual liberty and I support religious freedom,” Bolger said. “I have been horrified as some have claimed that a person’s faith should only be practiced while hiding in their home or in their church.”

i feel the need to point that line out to those who don't read'

i feel the need to point that line out to those who don't read'

Thanks as someone that can't read that helps a lot.

dont =/always= cant

The main thrust of this law is to keep photographers from being sued for discrimination if their deeply held religious belief argues against their participation in a homosexual marriage. Same for the baker that also was sued. And even doctors from being forced to perform an abortion or a pharmacist from dispensing "morning after pills".
The "doom and gloom" headline grabbers are looking for the worst things possible to say against the law, even though the vast majority of those instances are covered by other laws (withholding emergency medical care, evicting tenants solely based on their sexual orientation, etc.}
Ease up folks. Allow those of us with deeply held religious beliefs to actually exercise our First Amendment rights to freely exercise our religion. This is not "freedom of worship", the false argument that some are using these days which would restrict us to practice our religion only inside one's place of worship. Free exercise of religion is allowing our religious beliefs to influence our daily lives and decisions, as they should if they are indeed deeply held. If your beliefs stop at the church/synagog/mosque door, then they either aren't deeply held or the "state" is limiting your ability to exercise your beliefs and violating your Constitutional rights.
Go find another photographer, baker, doctor, or pharmacist, rather than trying to ram YOUR beliefs down their throat.
God bless you all.

I prefer the cliff notes version of reading. Just summarize it in ten words or less.