Emergency Personnel In Michigan Might Be Allowed To Deny Treatment of Gay People, Here’s Why
If you’re gay and in Michigan, you might not be able to receive treatment from emergency personnel. According to official documents passed by the Michigan House of Representatives under the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act, anyone, in this case we’ll say EMTs, will have the right to refuse to service people in the LGBTQ community.
So how would this be legal? Well due to the guidelines of this bill, if it’s proven that the person in need of assistance has a lifestyle that conflicts with any EMT’s religious beliefs, then it’s perfectly up to code.
New Now Next pointed out another horrifying example of how this bill will effect gay people in Michigan or those who might visit. Pharmacists could refuse to fill HIV medication because of this Religious Freedom and Restoration Act.
The next step is for this bill to pass in the Michigan Senate. If it is passed and therefore signed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder, then it will be held up as law.
Michigan’s Bolger said this about the passing of this specific bill.
“I support individual liberty and I support religious freedom. I have been horrified as some have claimed that a person’s faith should only be practiced while hiding in their home or in their church.”
According to Lonnie Scott from Progress Michigan,
“The idea that we need to ‘restore’ religious freedom — rights that are already enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — is a farce created by conservative lawmakers for the sole purpose of appeasing their far-right donors and the religious right.”
As for local pastor Stacy Swimp, he doesn’t feel the LGBTQ community has suffered.
“No one from the LGBT community has ever had fire hoses turned on them by the police department, they have never had to drink out of an LGBT water fountain. There is no record of LGBT — homosexuals, lesbians being forced to sit at the back of the bus in an LGBT section.”
Here’s a few responses over the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act.
Is the state government of Michigan as stupid as they appear with this legislation? #RFRA #discrimination #FCKH8
— Ashley Michelle. (@ashleaf_) December 8, 2014
oh sorry I let her die because I *thought* she was a lesbian. honest mistake! #rfra http://t.co/r8JFTVnHFG
— Stacey BahHumbug (@WentRogue) December 8, 2014
In regards to Michigan’s passing of their own #RFRA, I’d like to point out things that are forbidden in the bible: pic.twitter.com/gTy5zhJveY
— Sir Fancies Bacon (@JRadMKE) December 8, 2014
Anyone who supports #RFRA should just leave the country and start colony on an island because you don’t belong in America!
— CHAMP (@YearoftheChamp) December 8, 2014
If pharmacist won’t dispense birth control because of his religion, he should have the guts to go 1 step further and find another job. #RFRA
— David Gorski (@gorskon) December 5, 2014
[Image via Twitter]
