Michigan House Passed Bill Allowing EMTs To Refuse Treatment To Gay People

[justiceischeap]

http://www.newnownext.com/michigan-house-passed-bill-allowing-emts-to-refuse-treatment-to-gay-people/12/2014/

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.

This is how the Republicans are pushing back on marriage equality across our "great" land.

Another state to add to my "don't go there" list (whether the bill passes or not).

[Vinca]

1. Hatred aside, how exactly do you determine a stranger's sexual preference?

Maybe an EMT will turn up at a GOP state senator's office and say, "Hmmm . . . looks gay" and will leave.

[justiceischeap]

2. That's the thing, it's totally subjective

and they're also assuming that gay folks are the only one's with HIV. This, IMO, is no different than the Arizona bill that was shot down.

[RKP5637]

7. Likely their next step will be tattoos on foreheads to identify LGBT. These are

barbaric people passing this type of legal persecution. They really belong nowhere near any political office or lever of power.

[erronis]

29. What if the EMT asked me if I was gay

As I was being wheeled into the ambulance and I said, "Not really, but I'd like to be."

[unblock]

3. these people won't stop until they've restored the "right" to enslave other people.

i mean, if the slavers have a religious belief that black people are supposed to be treated as property,....

[shenmue]

4. Yuck

[Thor_MN]

5. Hmmm, buybull says lots of people should "be put to death"

Would a Red Lobster employee have the right to refuse to serve shellfish without fear of their employer firing them?

[cynzke]

6. ANOTHER ASSAULT....

By the religious right on the Constitution.

[workinclasszero]

9. The Constitution must die so the fascist republican theocracy

can take power and rule forever. All the while the baggers will claim they love the very document they are destroying.

Does the news media even notice these things?

[RKP5637]

10. Exactly! We have our own brand of ISIS in this country, just different names, different

people, different location. Imagine if these individuals had complete power in this country. Are they really that much different.

[catbyte]

8. This article is from December, don't think any further action has been taken.

MI legislature isn't in session now, still bears watching, though

[justiceischeap]

19. Yes, but I have a friend that says this type of legislation has popped up

in, if I recall correctly, 17 states so far. This is a quiet, ongoing assault of the LGBT community that seems to be passing under the radar. There's another post currently in GD that talks about states passing laws that say local municipalities can't have better laws than the state... meaning if the state doesn't have an anti-discrimination law then local municipalities laws can't supersede that--this is bigoted Republicans making sure local municipalities can't have pro-LGBT anti-discrimination laws because the state itself doesn't have them.

My friend works at an organization that works as a pro-LGBT lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

[catbyte]

37. I completely agree. That's why I said it still bears watching.

I don't trust any of these baggers any farther than I could throw them.

[Ilsa]

11. Such discrimination is contrary to the

spirit of the oaths taken by many in the medical field.

[CanonRay]

12. Maybe the GOP can re-start the "yellow star of David" concept

and have gays wear armbands...it worked so well in the 1930s. Don't they realize what they are doing?

[justiceischeap]

21. Actually, a little history for you

The pink triangle was given to gay men that were rounded up and placed in the same concentration camps as the Jews.

[CanonRay]

25. You're right, I had forgotten that. Perfect.

[TRoN33]

13. Leader of the free world, my ass. Republicans are fucking us up big time.

[n2doc]

14. And people think the problem is just the South

Bigoted asshats live in all 50 states and the territories. People who advocate letting the South "leave" don't understand that their problems would remain. Gotta root out the bastards wherever they live.

[raccoon]

17. Exactly! This boggles the mind. nt

[ryan_cats]

15. Say what?

Say what? Someone already mentioned about exactly how an EMT would know someone's sexual preference but I wonder how the people behind this would feel if someone suggested that the EMTs only work on white folks?

I can't imagine an EMT playing this game; they're all about saving lives.

Another day and another downward decent for decency.

[RedCappedBandit]

16. What kind of piece of shit EMT would this even apply to?

Asking someone's sexual orientation before saving their fucking life. Scum.

[gregcrawford]

18. All that is required for evil to prevail...

... is for "good" people to do nothing.

How else can we explain the infestation of repugnant "conservative" sociopaths polluting local, state, and federal government with their unbridled malice?

For the record, I'm 67, straight, and married, but I despise those who cloak their bigotry toward LGBTs , people of color, or anyone else, in the blood-soaked veil of "religious freedom." They defile every principle of Christianity, and, were Christ still alive, I doubt that He'd cross the street to piss on them if they were on fire.

[metalbot]

20. The bill is mean spirited and clearly meant to discriminate against gays

However, on reading the bill, neither of the first examples (an EMT refusing emergency treatment or a pharmacist refusing HIV medication) would actually be protected under the bill. The bill essentially argues that legislation impacting religious views must pass the compelling interest test. Under both of the examples (EMT treatment and HIV medication), existing laws already pass the compelling interest test.

I suspect that the last two examples would fall under the umbrella of the law (the first being more applicable than the second, as the government can argue for compelling interest in issue drivers licenses, but would be harder pressed to show why forcing any particular employee to issue a drivers license to a divorced person would be the least intrusive method to issue a license).

The intent of the law is clearly to allow businesses to deny services to activities that they consider "gay related". Horrible law, but it isn't as apocalyptic as the title suggests.

[justiceischeap]

24. I believe that the reason those examples are given

Is that a private ambulance company is a business and as a business they could refuse service. That's what the bill is really about... allowing businesses to refuse service based on religious beliefs. This is basically the same bill Arizona tried passing until they realized that Muslim's could turn around a deny service to any person they wanted to based on their religious beliefs. And I think the Right hates Muslim's more than the LGBT community so they quickly nixed that law (plus the NFL came down extra hard on them).

[William769]

22. Fucking disgusting!

Discrimination by Another Name: Advocates Sound Alarm on Wave of New State Bills

[justiceischeap]

26. It is that William. Nothing worse than a very sore loser

As it was explained to me, none of the laws are actually Constitutional and would likely be overturned by higher courts but that could take years--as we know from the marriage equality fight.

[asjr]

23. Third Reich restored?

[OldRedneck]

27. Something similar happened in VA -- EMT's revolted

A few years ago here in Virginia, state Senator Mark Obenshain (WINGNUT) proposed a law that would have criminalized miscarriage. I don't recall the details but the law required medical personnel to report to local law enforcement authorities any case of miscarriage. The idea was, supposedly, to prevent abortions because, as we all know, no woman has a miscarriage -- they all have abortions and claim it's a miscarriage.

Well, anyway, a few of us EMT's from around the state visited this asshole's office and demanded that we be arrested because, as we told them, if the law passes, we will not obey it. I also heard, but have not verified, that several individual physicians, groups of physicians, and hospitals launched on him. He withdrew the bill but it was hung around his neck and was instrumental in his not being elected Attorney General in 2013.

[justiceischeap]

31. I live in the DC Metro area

I'm very familiar with this proposed legislation. It had just about everyone up in arms if I recall correctly.

[NuclearDem]

28. Fucking bigots.

[wolfie001]

30. RW Christian fanatics have a lot in common with ISIL!

Especially their capacity for hatred. Disgusting pigs.

[PumpkinAle]

32. New Bill....... EMT's can't treat repugs

because it goes against what true Christians believe.

[TNNurse]

36. First problem

Is that they think EMTs are the only ones who give emergency treatment. It is usually a team of a Paramedic and an EMT. Second, who started this plan was is the emergency workers themselves??? I hope not, and doubt it is the case.

Legislative bigotry is not American, it is unconstitutional and if those jerks think they are Christian, I suspect that they are not right about that. Of course, I do not decide who or who is not Christian and neither do they.

[PumpkinAle]

49. Thanks and totally agree

and the EMTs?PMs I have had dealings with don't care who you are - they are there to save lives regardless.

[Thinkingabout]

33. This is like a lot of stupid laws on the books which has been removed when sanity

Returned. This is a bridge too far.

[SmittynMo]

34. Nancy Pelosi was right

Republicans are destroying this country.

[The CCC]

35. Michigan House Passed Bill Allowing EMTs To Refuse Treatment To Gay People

A Catholic High School is not a public accommodation it isn't subject to any law requiring them to hire anyone. EMT's are subject the that law.

[ladjf]

38. It's hard for me to believe that a great state such as Michigan

could descend to such a low human level as this new law has done. This disgracefully piece of legislation is the lowest point of Michigan history, in my opinion. How did Michigan decline so quickly?

[SHRED]

39. So how do they establish this?

Do they interview the patient?

How absurd.

[world wide wally]

40. In that case, an EMT who refuses to treat a gay person should have to prove their membership in

Westboro Baptist Church since they are the only ones I know that preach actually killing gays.

[Android3.14]

41. Old news by 4 months

It hasn't passed the state Senate and the bill is not quite as open-ended as the OP presents.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/michiganmedical.asp

[justiceischeap]

48. It's not really old news though

Since this is currently going on in 14 other states (some semblance of this type of law, anyway) one could argue this is very much current events... at least if you're an individual these laws are specifically targeting. And it isn't like the bill is dead in the water, it can still come up for and pass a Senate vote.

From the last paragraph from the Michigan ACLU:

"What RFRA will do is give businesses and landlords the opportunity to contest everything in court, and force individuals who are now able to live discrimination-free lives to demonstrate that the government has a compelling interest in making those landlords act in a nondiscriminatory fashion," said Tucker. "Even if that individual prevails, he will have spent a lot of time and money, and may be out of a job or out of a home while he's waiting."

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/michiganmedical.asp#em8bsKfDMv5mZA6g.99

If the government is the one passing the law, what interest do they have in upholding a gay (muslim, african-american, jewish, etc.) persons rights?

[sundevil2000]

42. Even my Dad, if he were alive, who was a dyed in the wool strict Catholic

would this to be insane.


What the hell is wrong with people????????

[LynneSin]

43. Wow did I fall asleep and just wake up in 1915?

Because that sounds like a dumbass law we'd pass back then when we'd still have bathrooms for 'colors-only' because people were ignorant dumbasses who didn't know better.

I would think in 100 years we'd get better than that.

[blackspade]

44. So, essentially there is no legal basis for the law....

It's basis is on a 3000 year old religious text that is misinterpreted, mis-translated, and selectively read by a group of people whose collective IQ would fit in a shot glass.

[Fred Sanders]

45. Do not forget the Christofascists also think ISIS are punters compared to American teachers and librarians.

There should be far more media coverage of these fascists than ISIS, but for some reason there is only crickets.....strange.

Crusader Chuck is far more dangerous to Americans than Jihadi John....the later is a deflection from the former.

[Fla Dem]

46. Sharia Law, Sharia Law, coming to a state near you! nt

[safeinOhio]

47. Mosaic law makes Sharia law

look good.