Just because same-sex marriage is now legal throughout the nation doesn’t mean queer folks are free from danger. There is still a lot that needs to be done to legally protect LGBT people from discrimination in all aspects of life, but unfortunately there have been a lot of setbacks recently.
Following South Dakota and Tennessee, there are a handful of states currently considering passing a slew of anti-LGBT bills.
North Carolina
The Southern state recently passed a law that prevents local governments from passing antidiscrimination ordinances that are used to protect LGBT people and nullifies those already in existence.
This means any business in the state can refuse service to any LGBT person. It is much broader than the highly contentious Religious Freedom Restoration Acts passed in some states last year, which at least required a "sincerely held religious belief" to decline service. The legislation also requires schools and government agencies to enforce single-sex bathrooms, with entry restricted to people identified as the “proper” gender on a birth certificate.
Kansas
State lawmakers introduced a pair of bills into law that would prohibit transgender students from using restrooms that match their gender. The Student Physical Privacy Act would apply not only to public schools but all public universities in the state, and would let anyone who saw someone transgender in the bathroom not designated for their birth sex could sue their school for $2,500 each time it happened. The paired bills (Senate Bill 513 and House Bill 2737) state that transgender students are going to harm cis students by using the same bathroom or locker room.
“Allowing students to use restrooms, locker rooms and showers that are reserved for students of a different sex will create potential embarrassment, shame, and psychological injury to students,” the bills read.
Georgia
Georgia lawmakers passed a bill last week, House Biill 757, that would prevent anyone from taking legal action against any organization, person, or business that discriminates because of “a sincerely held religious belief regarding lawful marriage between ... a man and a woman.” That opens the door to all types of discrimination against LGBT people. It’s up to Gov. Nathan Deal to decide whether to sign it into law or veto it. Twitter, Disney, and Marvel, among others, have said they will boycott Georgia if the bill becomes law.
Kentucky
Kentucky was most recently known for Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and the defiance that got her jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in her jurisdiction, but now the state is advancing legislation specifically designed to enable discrimination against LGBT people. Last week the state Senate voted 22-16 to approve Senate Bill 180, which creates "protected rights" and "protected activities." To sum it up, any business owner can discriminate or turn someone away if the person or their life violates their spiritual beliefs. The bill now goes to the House.
If you live in any of these states, contact your local LGBT advocacy groups and see if you can get involved in the process of stopping these bills before they become law. If they've become law, see what you can do to change it.
