Republican pushes ‘license to bully’ gay and lesbian service members

[xchrom]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/05/republican-pushes-license-to-bully-gay-and-lesbian-service-members/




A measure included in an annual defense spending bill on Wednesday night could make it harder for the U.S. military to protect gay and lesbian service members from religious bullying.

Rep. John Fleming (R-LA), who proposed the amendment (PDF), said the measure would protect the religious liberties of the Armed Forces. Critics, however, alleged the amendment would make it harder for military commanders to take action against religiously-motivated harassment.

“This amendment is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to sabotage the climate of inclusion and respect for all that our Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of Defense have called for in our military, and would create a license to bully, harass, and discriminate against service members based on religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any number of other characteristics,” Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson said in a news release.

Fleming’s amendment would expand current “conscience protections” in the National Defense Authorization Act, which currently require the Pentagon to accommodate religious “beliefs.”

[uriel1972]

1. One thing to protect the right to have a religion (or none if you prefer)...

It's quite another to privilige the majority one. I'm thinking this is the second.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

3. Sure looks that way to me...

I am so tired of "Christians" being coddled and allowed to harass LGBT people under the guise of their "religious liberty". They have the right to worship their god as they see fit, purchase/read religious literature, etc. If that isn't enough for them then too damn bad.

[Crowman1979]

4. The fundies are trying to protect their supremacy, not their rights.

It's the classic case of the bully crying to the teacher when he finally gets his ass kicked.

[William769]

2. Recommended.