Last week North Carolina House Speaker Moore said he will not take up a “religious freedom” bill this year due to mounting pressure from the public and the business community. This was a big step, but an anti-LGBT bill is still advancing in the General Assembly.
Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) is headed for a vote in the state House in May. The North Carolina state Senate has already passed this bill, which would allow magistrate judges to recuse themselves from performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples – or any couple at all – if they feel their religious beliefs are being violated.
This proposed legislation is a direct, discriminatory response to marriage equality becoming the law of the land in North Carolina. An Asheville Citizen-Times article, “Why do politicians cling to marriage discrimination?” reveals the many problems with this bill. In her comments, Jasmine, CSE’s Executive Director, sums up why this bill isn’t really about “religious freedom” at all:
“We have the freedom to practice religion in our place of worship and to hold our private beliefs and express those private beliefs. At the same time, in our shared public life, we’ve agreed that we will be governed by the principles of equality and fairness. We won’t elevate one religion over another. (Senate Bill 2) is discriminatory, but it’s also contradictory to the theory of separation of church and state.” – Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara
Simply put, this legislation is unconstitutional and, if passed, will require review from the courts. But let’s stop it before it comes to that.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory has voiced opposition to SB2, but we need him to go a step further and promise to veto it.
If you’re a North Carolina resident, I’m asking you to call Governor McCrory right now at 919-814-2000 and urge him to veto SB 2 because it is unconstitutional and discriminatory.
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