The beginning of the Regressive Era, Republicans are finding workarounds to reinstitute Jim Crow...
and not enough people are talking about it.
First off, one of the first offenders was a federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which has eroded some of the anti-discrimination provisions and regulations of the federal government. Some parts were overturned. Next you also have conscience clauses in various states that give people the right to refuse service based on arbitrary beliefs.
Now, with same-sex marriage poised to become legal nationwide, you see Republicans scrambling to pass laws in various states, like Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Georgia, etc. that will allow not just private businesses to discriminate against people based on religion, but also state employees, probate judges, clerks, etc.
This is a fucking disaster, and the next battleground for civil rights in this country, its fucking useless to have civil rights if the state agencies and state employees can refuse to serve you, in any capacity, due to, for example, you being in a same sex relationship. The Republicans are so fucking desperate, that they are writing these laws so broadly that they not only overturn anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people, but everybody, the one in Georgia comes to mind. As long as you can come up with a religious excuse, you can discriminate against anyone for any reason, in spite of laws such as the Civil Rights act of 1964.
All in the name of "religious freedom", and thanks to people's attitudes towards religion in general, it seems this is an issue that gets a pass.
Oh, and I should mention that SCOTUS also ruling in favor of discrimination and arbitrarily restricting government power in enforcing anti-discrimination laws is NOT helping.
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