Current gay lesbian rights in north carolina

Photo courtesy of Flickr contributor Ted Eytan.

N. Carolina cities begin passing historic LGBTQ nondiscrimination laws

The advent of same-sex marriage has mobilized state legislators across the country to introduce a number of bills that would restrict the rights of LGBT citizens, all in the name of protecting religious freedom. One particularly broad example of such a law comes from North Carolina.

In March, in a span of just 12 hours, the North Carolina General Assembly and Senate approved, and Governor Pat McCrory signed, a bill that prohibits local communities from enacting ordinances that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The impetus for the bill was a measure enacted by the city of Charlotte that prohibited discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Besides banning local antidiscrimination ordinances, the bill requires all government-controlled facilities, including schools and universities, to provide single-sex, multiple occupancy bathrooms and locker rooms, and requires individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender at birth.

In enacting the bill, North Carolina lawmakers focused on the bathroom. In Romer v. This was impermissible, according to the court. Instead, the law prohibits discrimination based on a number of characteristics, including gender and race, but leaves out sexual orientation and gender identity.

The law then states that local governments cannot enact their own antidiscrimination measures, thus blocking any measures that would protect LGBT citizens. The bill would also allow employers to cite religion in determining workplace policies, including dress codes, grooming, and bathroom and locker access.

Religious freedom is often the rallying cry behind the passage of such bills, but looking into civil rights movements of the past illustrates that religion has often been used to justify discrimination. Here in the United States, the Southern Baptist Church supported slavery and segregation for over a century.

The Mormon Church did not ordain black men as priests until These groups were able to cite biblical passages to support their stance, just as opponents of same-sex marriage do today. Yet, claims of religious freedom have never been found to justify racial discrimination.

For that reason, a court could not order a priest to perform a same-sex wedding. Baking a wedding cake or preparing a wedding bouquet are not religious activities, however. In fact, at least one court has found that, in the face of current gay lesbian rights in north carolina antidiscrimination law protecting LGBT citizens, a photographer cannot claim a First Amendment right to refuse to photograph a same-sex wedding.

The recently enacted Mississippi law purports to give a photographer that right. Can Mississippi pass a law giving bakers, florists, photographers, and others a right to refuse to provide these services? Absent a federal or state civil rights statute protecting LGBT citizens, the answer could be yes.

Although these new laws are disturbing to those of us who support equal rights for all Americans, these laws seem to be the last gasp of a failed mission. Anyone interested in submitting a piece, which should be about words long, should contact Rich Barlow at barlowr bu. BU Today reserves the right to reject or edit submissions.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and are not intended to represent the views of Boston University. Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected.

Moderators are staffed during regular business hours EST and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation. Professor, while I respect you opinion, you seem set on pitting religious practice against a hospitable, accommodating society that embraces all.

One of the most famous alumni of this institution, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, leveraged his ministry to end segregation in this country. Catholic Charities welcome immigrants and refugees who suffer new form of discrimination, violence and injustice.

For your few anecdotes of less than charitable religious expression, billions of people express their deeply held beliefs to serve the most vulnerable.