This week the Supreme Court heard a case about whether the law outlawing discrimination by sex applied to gays and transsexuals. The case should be a slam dunk. Conservatives on the bench who believe that the 2nd Amendment is unambiguous about gun control suddenly quaver over whether “sex means sex.” Their concerns rely on two cognitive canards.
One is the bathroom issue. Will transsexuals be allowed to come in to the room that differs from their birth sex? Personally I would prefer people use the restroom to which they currently claim membership. It would be totally weird if someone wearing a dress and panty hose comes into the men’s room because technically she was born male. This bathroom issue canard was used to prevent ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution and has resurfaced yet again.
The second canard that the Supremes have trotted out in recent years is that not allowing discriminating against gays violates some people’s freedom of religion. This same argument was used by Southern bigots to uphold segregation who claimed they believed the races were not supposed to mix.
What strikes me about this religion argument is that it always surfaces when some so-called Christians want to treat badly some portion of the population. You never hear it used because someone wants to practice Christian love. Apparently these zealots missed all of the Sunday lessons on the New Testament especially the 4 Gospels which were all about loving fellow man. Jesus never hesitated from breaking bread with the worst of society. If Jesus could do it, I fail to understand why these folks think they are special.
Particularly ironic is the current Bigot-in-Chief supports these views. The zealots claim at least a real Christian is now in charge. How they believe that really baffles me. He couldn’t even name his favorite Bible verse. Even the most Biblically illiterate could trot out John 3-16. “For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Recited from memory even though I haven’t been to church in years. Trump couldn’t do it.
So where do the Supremes fit in? We won’t know for months, but I fear they will vote with their biases and produce a bad verdict regardless of the language of the law.
Which leads us to rainbows. Fortunately, surveys conclusively demonstrate American attitudes towards gays have changed a lot in recent years especially among the young. They have gay friends and to them it is no big deal. I have been in plays where most of the cast was gay, but no one really noticed or cared. Intelligence agencies no longer prohibit gays from getting security clearances. So the tide of history is on our side.
If the Supreme Court denies gays equal rights, most of society can and should nullify that verdict by using the power of the purse. Businesses, churches, and private individuals should proudly display rainbow stickers that indicate they treat all of God’s creatures equally. Those that refuse to do so should be boycotted until they comply. I believe there is enough agreement on this issue among the population, that holdouts will feel considerable economic pressure. Watch them fold and shelve their so-called religious scruples.
