After promising 2017 would be the “Year of the Bible,” Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and his Republican henchmen in the state legislature just passed an awful new “religious freedom” bill that allows students to discriminate against their LGBTQ classmates on religious grounds. And it all started after some uppity parents took offense with a Bible verse being cut from a school production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
SB17 was signed into law this week and is specifically designed to protect Christian, er, religious expression in public schools. One of its provisions allows publicly-funded student groups to discriminate against potential members because Jesus is Lord. The bill reads:
No recognized religious or political student organization is hindered or discriminated against in the ordering of its internal affairs, selection of leaders and members, defining of doctrines and principles, and resolving of organizational disputes in the furtherance of its mission, or in its determination that only persons committed to its mission should conduct these activities.
So basically, it’s now legal for any student group in Kentucky to ban gay students from participating in their activities. All they have to do is claim by that student’s mere existence goes against their religious beliefs and they’re legally in the clear.
Naturally, LGBTQ activists aren’t happy about all this.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Governor Bevin’s shameful decision to sign this discriminatory bill into law jeopardizes non-discrimination policies at public high schools, colleges, and universities,” said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the LGBTQ advocacy group HRC. “No student should fear being excluded from a school club or participating in a school activity because they are LGBTQ. While of course private groups should have the freedom to express religious viewpoints, they should not be able to unfairly discriminate with taxpayer funds.”
Related: Kentucky Store Bans Gay People. Guns, However, Are Totally Fine
h/t: Vox
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Mo Bro
Why all this fuss over a private club who doesn’t want us? Why would you want to join such a club? Where’s your anger, a sane man might ask, with the religion (Muslims) which not only openly discriminates against us, but also wants us exterminated?
(just kidding, guys—I know that you militant types have a pathological hatred of Christianity and a Stockholm-syndromesque love for Islam, so those questions are purely rhetorical)
DCguy
Hey Editors at Queerty, there comes a point where these Fake Right Wing trolls cross over.
Mo Bro has now gone from consistently defending any anti-lgbt law or politician to now trying to pretend that legalized bullying of children in school is somehow an uppity kid wanting to join a club that doesn’t want them.
Mo Bro, my question, which private club are you refering to? The private club of these kids not getting brutalized everyday in school? Or maybe the private club of these kids being attacked everyday on the bus on their way home. Is that the private club you’re talking about?
I get it, you’re an anti-lgbt troll and we can all more than handle your boring, ignorant bigoted posts, but you really need to examine yourself if your first instinct is to defend the legal, bigoted brutalization of children.
Giancarlo85
How is that 200%+ in your health care premiums going to suit you? You won’t be able to pay for your mental health screenings and your medications at such a low cost.
Your issue is you are a delusional fool who can only think about Muslims trying to kill you, yet you’re completely willing to accept less at home. You are willing to be bullied and tortured here in America, because you think you are better off.
In other words… You think we should take whatever breadcrumbs you can get because at least we aren’t being killed lmao.
That isn’t what democracy is about. This nation is supposed to be setting an example, not allowing such discriminatory laws to exist.
But your idiotic reply was the same given by segregationists to African Americans.
You are a complete putz, a liar and you can’t make a thought without spinning everything. I just loved Emmanuel Macron’s response to that idiot LePen in the debate. I know some French, but it sums the way I feel about you beaten down log cabin types. You are like a beaten dog and you are willing to accept even the smallest crumb.
You have no dignity or self respect.
Giancarlo85
Oh by the way asshat, most of us on the left can’t stand any religion at all.
rbernard
Troll – go away. These new Kentucky antigay policies only drive businesses away from Kentucky, which weakens their marginal economy because they don’t want to expose their employees or their kids to a ignorant hostile environment. Also discriminatory antigay policies also drives Kentucky’s young out of the state when they grow up to get away from the religious hatred and hocus pocus superstitions.
Muslims??? you are really trotting that out … remember it is a proven fact our brains are bigger and smarter than your team’s..
jhon_siders
What can you expect its KY !! This asshat before his term is up will be involved in some sort of sex scandal The big bible thumping repubs seem to always get caught with there hands in the cookie jar Just like in Ok last week .
am_psi
So I expect that all the people opposed to this bill hate discrimination so much that they would be perfectly fine with the infiltration and take-over of gay student organizations or social justice groups by religious or right-wing agitators? If there’s a gay/straight alliance group of 15 students in a school where groups can’t discriminate about membership how hard would it be to find 20 born-again Christian students to go in, take over the leadership and completely derail the group’s agenda? The same would apply with racial minority clubs. This bill is actually more of a protection for marginalized groups then vice versa, because you’re unlikely to get enough people from a minority group into a majority-run group to change it’s course anyway.
mhoffman953
@am_psi Exactly this. If I’m a white student, would the people complaining about this bill say that I have the right to join a school or college group for black Democrats on campus? If I’m a male student, can I join a group for sexually abused women at my school? Could an openly gay or transgender student join an after school program for Muslim youths? Obviously no to all of those and even without this bill, those groups wouldn’t let those people join.
I’m more confused as to why a small verse from the Bible (which was included in A Charlie Brown Christmas) had to be cut from a school play. I didn’t know that A Charlie Brown Christmas was that offensive that we had to censor lines from it LOL
Giancarlo85
The bill is not a protection and that’s a complete lie. It’ll be used to ban GSAs and prevent them from even forming.
Hoffman is a liar and Trump drumbeater, parroting some other troll who clearly didn’t read the actual bill.
mhoffman953
@Giancarlo85 which part of my post was a lie? Are you saying that if I was still in college that I could join the Black Democrats on Campus or join a group for sexually abused women at my campus? Quote which part of my post is a lie.
Giancarlo85
You’re a delusional liar and no they shouldn’t take a conservative right wing extremist like you. In fact, with your anti-woman and anti-LGBT stances I’d be surprised if they would want you around at all.
mhoffman953
@Giancarlo85 How am I anti-woman? LOL. I said that men shouldn’t be allowed into an all women’s group in school.
Goforit
You are missing the point. No one is saying that you can’t have exclusive membership rules in whatever club you want to form. However. under the “Equal Protection Clause” of the constitution, no school (government) sponsored group is allowed to discriminate against any protected class. Period. To put it simply. If my government is using my tax dollar to support a group, I have the right to join that group and see just how my taxes are being spent.
am_psi
@Goforit The Equal Protection Clause doesn’t say anything about protected classes or government funding. It only applies to what the government itself can do to or for citizens, not private groups.
DCguy
Awwww, how adorable, the troll is trying to not only completely misrepresent the topic. But he also mentioned “Blacks”. Because, you know, they’re scary for right wing trolls.
David Bolton
Why the gays don’t preempt these asshats and start shrieking about their religious rights being violated first is beyond me. Oh no—we kept expecting human decency to win out.
Newsflash—these people don’t like us, and they never will. Ever. The only way to win is to beat them at their own game and abandon the whole “love wins” garbage.
ChrisK
Looking at the wording it just seems like they’re just protecting themselves from whatever. However, knowing that they’re not discriminated in any way and they’re always about telling others what to do logic tells me that this is just more BS and another tool to go after their arch enemies ie the gays.
Daniel-Reader
Students should form Satanic groups and sue for millions if there is any interference.
Sluggo2007
What difference does it make? Would any self-respecting gay person step foot in Kentucky, EVER? By the way, did you ever see a crazier face than that mofo in the picture?
jckfmsincty
Kentucky: 5 million people, 11 different last names
fur_hunter
He is obviously one of those stupid $H!Ts who believe in that ridiculous Arc replica. That the earth is only 6000 years old, that Noah had dinosaurs in cages on the Arc and the other dinosaurs drowned in Noah’s flood. If he actually takes THAT BOOK literally, there is a verse in it that goes…’Go to the four corners of the earth and preach the gospel.’ Because of that verse, the church, during the Middle ages, taught as truth, that the earth was flat. Oh…and don’t forget….the universe and everything….was created in just 6 DAYS!!! No…Not millions of years……6 DAYS!!! Yes…and Adam and Eve had 2 sons. There is no mention of other children or people being created. Well, the one son killed the other….then he went out and got married. REALLY? And who did he marry? Yes…all you stupid, ignorant, intolerant and bigoted fundamentalist…wake up and smell the coffee. THAT BOOK was written by men. God had nothing to do with it. If He did, God is a MORON and an IDIOT…..and a LIAR.
[email protected]
Kill the bastard & rape his wife!!!!!!!!